WHOLESALE MARKETS AS SUPPLY CHANNELS FOR GREEN MARKETS AND THEIR IMPACT ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN SERBIA

Abstract

The wholesale market is a key supply channel for green markets, linking producers and consumers locally and globally. This study explores challenges and opportunities for vendors, emphasizing wholesale markets’ role in improving supply chain efficiency. Through in-depth interviews with vendors at Kvantaška Pijaca in Novi Sad and local green market sellers, a mixed-methods approach was used to assess economic and communication effects. Findings show strong alignment between vendor operations and consumer needs, highlighting wholesale markets’ potential to enhance rural development through better market access and innovative distribution. The study contributes to literature on sustainable agriculture and offers practical recommendations to improve vendor performance and customer satisfaction. It provides a strategic framework for policymakers to support rural and agricultural development in Serbia.