Dr Bell, who is standing in the upcoming farmer director elections, said some hard decisions had to be made.
There needed to be one well-resourced co-operative capable of attracting the ''vast majority'' of supply.
Two Alliance Group directors retire by rotation this year - John Lindsay, of Dipton, who has been granted a waiver to stand for a fifth term, and Dawn Sangster, of Ranfurly, who is entitled to stand for re-election as of right.
Dr Bell, who farms Criffel Station with her husband Jerry, has resigned from Meat Industry Excellence's executive committee to stand for the board.
Farmers needed to ''step up'' and there was quite a swing in that direction, with more awareness of issues beyond the farm gate, she said yesterday.
''We do have to stand up together and ask for change and the bigger picture to be looked at,'' she said.
Like many farmers, Dr Bell had been questioning why New Zealand sheep, beef and deer farmers could not achieve solid returns on a sustainable basis.
''It doesn't make sense when we are the world's No 1 lamb and deer exporter, one of the top five beef exporters, and there is growing international demand for protein.''
Over-capacity, poor procurement practices and compromised marketing were eroding the profitability of the sector, farmers were leaving the industry and sheep and deer numbers were dropping.
The industry had to be restructured and consolidated to reverse those trends and achieve sustained profitability.
The Alliance Group needed to lead the consolidation and other parties should be encouraged to join it, she said.
Farmer shareholders needed to come together to create one well-resourced co-operative, which would deliver the global scale needed to ''right-size'' the industry's processing assets and achieve the international leverage to improve returns, she said.
Preliminary findings from a Meat Industry Excellence (MIE) survey showed 86% would or might support a restructuring of the industry, suggesting there was ''considerable consensus'' among farmers.
''We've talked about it for long enough. We have all the supporting reports, initiated in recent times as part of the Red Meat Sector Strategy Report.
"I want to get on and help make it happen now. The steps we need to take are clear,'' she said.
As a farmer, business owner with networks in China, vet and active member of the red meat industry through various consultancy and investment projects, Dr Bell said she had skills and experience that could help guide the Alliance Group.
She was excited about putting her name forward, saying there were ''opportunities out there''.
MIE chairman John McCarthy said it was important farmers maintained momentum for change on co-operative boards by electing directors ''committed to reform''.
Don Morrison, who was elected to Alliance Group's board last year, and Richard Young and Dan Jex-Blake, who were elected to Silver Fern Farms, were ''already making a difference'' but, with additional directors, boards would not be able to continue to ignore farmers' wishes, he said.
