Denmark has always gone that extra mile in forging links with the rest of the world. The photograph on the cover of this special supplement to The Grocer shows the new fixed road and rail link bridging the 16km gap between Denmark and Sweden. It is a connection significantly improving links between the two countries. Ever since the first Norsemen set out across the seas, Denmark has continued to look beyond its own boundaries for opportunities. So much so that today, more than two thirds of the country's farm output, from milk and cheese to bacon and pork, is exported around the world. Denmark, despite quota restrictions, is one of the world's top 20 fishing nations and its famous Carlsberg brew is the fourth largest international player in the beer market. In farming, consolidation has seen a large part of the Danish food industry distilled down to just a handful of large organisations, all co-operatively led. Denmark's biggest dairy producer MD Foods recently took consolidation one stage further by merging with prolific Swedish company Arla, creating a giant cross-boundary company. Bacon exports suffered earlier this year with the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK and Holland. Despite Denmark remaining clear of the disease, Europe-wide bans imposed by important markets including the US and Japan, impacted on Danish producers. Fortunately those markets are now re-opening and trading is returning to normal. On the organics side, Denmark has one of the most mature markets in Europe, having pioneered the organics movement for many years. Despite stagnation on the home market, there remains a great deal of scope on the export front, something many organics producers are looking to exploit. {{Z SUPPLEMENTS }}