Consumers’ Perspectives on Alternative Short Food Supply Chains Based on Social Media: A Focus Group Study in Spain

Abstract

Nowadays, an increasing number of consumers are demanding more information and more direct contact with food producers in order to avoid the various intermediaries in the supply chain, thus improving food traceability and price transfer. This has led to the development of more direct (short) food supply chains (SFSCs). Although consumer preferences to use SFSCs rather than traditional (long) supply chains have been widely researched in the literature, this study brings a new approach with the use of social media sites to build online SFSCs. A focus group approach with a total of 32 participants was used in this study with the main objective to understand consumers’ awareness and acceptance of SFSCs. Special attention was given to the use of social media and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) as new approaches to support the creation of such alternative channels.

Consumer perception of Hungarian agroforestry products – results of a Q-methodology attitude research study

“…There is an increasing demand from the consumer society for natural lifestyles, organic products and green products (forest fruits, mushroom, herbs, etc.) (den Herder et al, 2017) or even for the development of new food brands for agroforestry systems (Deliza et al, 2003;Elghannam et al, 2020). The public is also increasingly conscious of using environmentally friendly solutions in their everyday lives, buying products from ethical and ecofriendly farms.…”

‘I will know it when I taste it’: trust, food materialities and social media in Chinese alternative food networks

“…Social media technologies have become important tools to AFNs worldwide. They have been used in AFNs to develop trust, enhance visibility and for facilitating another ‘space’ for participatory engagement beyond physical direct exchange (Elghannam et al 2020 ; Bos and Owen 2016 ; Press and Arnould 2011 ). AFNs in China are particularly reliant on assuming current members will invite other relatives or close friends to the scheme once they have verified its ‘trustworthiness’.…”

“…Indeed, that both positive and negative (i.e. cherrygate) information can be disseminated along these networks, potentially pushing consumers away from ‘untrustworthy’ vendors, social media “may also bring a risk for companies that do not properly manage their relationship with their customers, as negative motivations are more likely to generate user response than positive motivations” (Elghannam et al 2020 , p. 11). In Chinese AFNs, the immediacy lent by social media is in many ways required to negotiate the immediate freshness—and its uncertainties—of the produce that the trust based relationship is dependent on.…”

Food Traceability: A Consumer-Centric Supply Chain Approach on Sustainable Tomato

“…The increasing consumer interest on short food supply chains highlights the importance of more information and more direct contact with the producers [ 33 ], revealing the need for innovative traceability systems and further active consumer involvement in the food supply system; hence, more attnetion on consumer-centric supply chains. Recent technological advances have significantly contributed to traceability in food supply chains.…”