Farmers of tomorrow: transformative strength of short supply chains

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to explore the experience of farmers and institutions with short food supply chains as a tool towards food sovereignty. Our research question focused on finding the advantages and obstacles of short supply chains (SSCs) which could help in directing future civil and institutional engagement and support of SSCs. We also considered the policy context through a brief overview of actual policy documents regarding SSCs. A mixed methodology was applied with data collected through an online survey and semi-structured interviews. The research was carried out in November and December 2020. The survey included two subsamples, farmers and institutions, while the semi-structured interviews were carried out among members of the “Najbolje lokalno” SSC. The online survey results showed that our participants – farmers and institutions – are highly interested in SSCs but lack educational courses which would help them establish more SSCs or support them in a more adequate manner. Farmers were found to be highly satisfied with their participation in SSCs as they gained new skills, valuable feedback, and fair prices for their products through participation in SSCs. The semi-structured interviews revealed a more in-depth farmers’ experience with specific SSCs. Institutional participants hold SSCs as essential for social, economic, and environmental viability. Food sovereignty in Croatia has been developing mostly through civil society, and more recently institutional support is also emerging.