THE IMPORTANCE OF SHORT SUPPLY CHAINS OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD PRODUCTS AND LOCAL FOOD CONSUMPTION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Predmet istraživanja ovog rada je istražiti važnost kratkih lanaca opskrbe poljoprivredno-prehrambenih proizvoda za vrijeme pandemije COVID-19. Njezina pojava imala je značajan utjecaj na sve aspekte ljudskih života pa tako i na potražnju potrošača za hranom. Potrošači sve više brinu o porijeklu hrane koju konzumiraju i o načinu njezina tretiranja. Ovim radom analiziran je utjecaj pandemije COVID-19 na kupovinu lokalne hrane. Provedeno je primarno istraživanje pomoću anketnog upitnika, putem Interneta. Rezultati su pokazali kako su potrošači u Republici Hrvatskoj i prije početka pandemije pridavali veliku važnost lokalnoj hrani. Kod većine ispitanika, način prehrane tijekom pandemije COVID-19 nije se značajno promijenio u odnosu na prije pandemije. Nešto manje od polovine ispitanika navelo je kako su za vrijeme pandemije osvijestili važnost lokalno proizvedene hrane. Isto toliko ispitanika izjavilo je kako su za vrijeme pandemije više konzumirali lokalnu hranu negoli prije nje. Gotovo svi ispitanici koji su naveli da su tijekom pandemije više konzumirali lokalnu hranu, tvrde da će to nastaviti i nakon pandemije.The subject of this paper is to investigate the importance of short supply chains of agri-food products during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its appearance has had a significant impact on all aspects of human lives, including consumer demand for food. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the origin of the food they consume and how it is treated. This paper analyses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local food purchases. The primary research was conducted using a survey questionnaire, via the Internet. The results showed that consumers in the Republic of Croatia even before the pandemic attached great importance to local food. In most respondents, nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic did not change significantly compared to before the pandemic. Slightly less than half of the respondents stated that they were aware of the importance of locally produced food during the pandemic. The same number of respondents said they consumed more local food during the pandemic than before. Almost all respondents who stated that during the pandemic they were more dedicated to the consumption of local food, claim that this will continue after the pandemic