The analysis of contract choice is here related to the contracting nature of the hybrid governance structures. The approach of the empirical analysis is concerned with the transaction between farmers and processor in poultry supply chains and it is based upon a choice experiment to estimate the marginal values of contract attributes. Final remarks take into account the role of contract attributes in ensuring the degree of food safety and suggest a tentative organizational explanation of the degree of safety supplied. The study is funded by VI European Research Program (Strep Project Poultryflorgut).