Are Short Food Supply Chains an Alternative to Traditional Retailing? A Study of Preferences for Olive Oil in Spain
Due to the continuous growth of the world’s population, it is becoming increasingly important to create sustainable, safe, and efficient food systems, with people looking for alternative food supply chains instead of traditional ones. Short food supply chains (SFSC), which have fewer or no intermediaries between producers and consumers, are considered an alternative to traditional supply chains. The purpose of this research is to study the consumer preferences and identify consumer profiles with similar perceptions and behavior by cluster analysis. A choice experiment carried out to 501 Spanish consumers was used to assess the influence of different attributes on consumers’ purchasing decisions of extra virgin olive oil, as one of the most regularly food supplied through SFSC in Spain. Results reveal that consumers' distribution channel preferences, such as supermarkets, traditional retailers, or SFSC, are similar although there is a negative reaction to products purchased online. Additionally, since there are consumers who are socially and environmentally more aware, who value and are willing to pay more for local and organic food, opens opportunities for the development of SFSCs. Hence, the implementation of policies encouraging the use of eco-environmental labeling can foster the development of SFSC