ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ISLAND SUPPLY CHAIN AS A PREREQUISITE FOR AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STARI GRAD PLAIN

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to answer two research questions: a) whther agricultural family farms are interested in establishing an efficient market chain, and b) whether the current economic value of agricultural production on the island of Hvar has the potential to form an organization of producers. Currently, the main characteristics of agricultural production on the island of Hvar are: low productivity, fragmented production, the lack of associations of family farmers, and the lack of purchase centers. The methodology used in the paper includes the analysis of available indicators of agricultural production on the island of Hvar and an online survey questionnaire that explored the opinions of agricultural producers. The results of the analysis justify the construction of a theoretical model of “the island distribution chain” and “Agro Hub”. The model presented in the paper is based on successful examples of the development of distribution centers for agricultural products that could be applied on the island of Hvar. The implementation of the proposed model would greatly improve the agricultural production of Starigrad Plain, which has been continuous for 2,400 years, and thus included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.