Vertical and horizontal information portals: cooperation models for sector and chain information services

Information portals are means for the delivery of information services to interested groups. The complexity of the agrifood sectors requires a differentiated infrastructure of information portals which serves different categories of information interests. Enterprises information needs build on enterprise-specific information and on information with interest for groups of enterprises which are on the same stage of the food production process or which cooperate within a vertical production chain. The paper discusses various information delivery alternatives and outlines models for the design of an information delivery infrastructure for sectors of the agrifood production chain.