How Technology Helps Farmers to Cater to Consumers – Channel Formats and Consumer Motives

Abstract

Societal stakeholders have started to rethink agricultural supply chains and discuss strategies to improve its resilience to be better prepared for future disruptions. One of the main pillars of such a resilient system is regional farming and distribution. Short food supply chains (SFSCs) refer to systems of food production, distribution, and consumption that involve few intermediaries between the producer and the consumer. However, research on the structure and impact of SFSCs is scarce. The study at hand identifies and categorizes farmers direct-to-consumer activities, investigates the role of technology in this context and explores the motivation of users of such concepts.