Farms and marketing channels: a network-based interpretation of connectivity and resilience

Purpose – This study applies Social Network Analysis (SNA) to examine how 572 UK farm businesses engage with eight marketing channels, aiming to understand how patterns of market access relate to structural position, business characteristics, and resilience. Design/methodology/approach – Measures of degree centrality, core–periphery structure and modularity clustering were used to uncover the relational architecture of the UK farms’ marketing channels. Findings – Findings show that most farms rely on just one or two channels, with those using three or more exhibiting the highest network centrality. The findings highlight the need to distinguish between structural embeddedness and functional integration. A farm may be well connected yet remain marginal in terms of capital flow or market influence. Practical implications – Policies aiming to strengthen food system resilience must be network-aware and support a plurality of marketing strategies tailored to different farm contexts enabling resilience and innovation to emerge across all parts of the network. Originality/value – The findings presented herein offer practical recommendations for rural development and national procurement frameworks showing how structural positioning and connectivity can inform typologies for targeted and equitable intervention.