Pii: S1096-7508(00)00030-6

Beef supply chains around the world are experiencing unprecedented changes, particularly in regard to an increased emphasis on closer coordination mechanisms (e.g., strategic alliances and traceability programs) and on quality assurance (QA) schemes (at all levels of the supply chain). In some countries, such as the UK, these changes have largely been a direct result of consumer concerns about food safety. The existence of highly-publicized food poisoning outbreaks have been a very strong driver for change. However, in other countries, such as Canada there have been no such major food poisoning outbreaks. In such countries, the main driver for improvement is a desire for international competitiveness. A priori, it might be expected these different drivers might lead to different attitudes and priorities among the supply chain participants. For example, beef producers in the UK may see a greater sense of urgency to “get their act together” –to be more receptive to initiatives that enhance horizontal and vertical coordination and to be more receptive to the imperative to join a quality assurance scheme. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether there are differences in the attitudes of beef producers in Canada and the UK to issues of (horizontal and vertical) coordination and quality assurance. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.