Business Excellence, Vol. 13 No. 2, 2019.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.22598/pi-be/2019.13.2.53
ECO-DISTRIBUTION CENTRES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN THE FUNCTION OF CONSUMER POTENTIAL OF URBAN CENTRES
Marko Šundov
orcid.org/0000-0002-2735-1623
; Stano-uprava d.o.o., Split, Croatia
Dušanka Gajdić
orcid.org/0000-0002-4153-723X
; Senior lecturer, Križevci College of Agriculture, Križevci, Croatia
Kristina Petljak
orcid.org/0000-0002-5785-1928
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics & Business Zagreb, Department of Trade and International Business, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Spatial expansion and increasing population of cities is turning them into
neuralgic points of the food supply chain. Due to its structure and the speed of life
processes, food is delivered to urban centres through conventional supply chains, and
therefore, today we are faced with an extremely dependent consumer (due to the lack of
food self-supply). For this reason, the strategic development of cities requires sustainable
thinking and reasoning when it comes to food supply. A simple possible solution for the
continuous and sustainable supply for the urban population is the development of ecodistribution
centres for agri-food products. With the implementation of this model,
numerous effects can be achieved; developing the rural environment of cities reduces the
pressure of population inflows; ensuring the supply of fresh, high-quality food in sufficient amounts for the whole population, sustainable management of the waste
generated in the process of food distribution and use. The short agri-food chain
management, i.e. its production and consumption capacities, considerably reduces
dependence on conventional chains. At the same time, prerequisites are created for
controlling the production and disposal of waste within agri-food supply chains.
Therefore, in this paper, we analyse the consumer potential of urban centres as the
fundamental determinant for designing and implementing eco-distribution centres for
agricultural products. Empirical research on consumer potential in urban centres was
conducted with the help of two utility companies in the city of Split, in 20 residential
buildings, and 148 tenants participated in the study.
Keywords
eco-distribution centre; short agri-food chains; urban centres; consumer potential; empirical research
Hrčak ID:
229688
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2019.
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