A Case Study on the Role of Farmers’ Markets in the Process of Shortening the Food Chain and the Possible Economic Benefits for Consumers

In recent years, farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs have been striving to search for the most profitable markets, but the generalized increase of the price level, due to the difficult international economic situation, has generated the need to create alternative distribution channels with respect to those ones which have been traditionally employed in the marketing of food products. All this affects the production and consumption practises, enhances the attention of the media and of policy-makers, stimulates the localization of transformation processes and the reorientation towards quality products and the short supply chain. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to analyse the short supply chain distribution channel and to highlight how this marketing model may become an opportunity that the “conscious consumer” can exploit. Indeed, he can reorganize his purchase and consumption habits in order to direct his preference to food and agri-food products which own certain quality requirements that are different from those commonly recognised by the average consumer. Moreover, through this work, we intend to highlight the positive economies that the short supply-chain can offer to small and medium-sized companies. This channel enables the conscious consumer to approach himself to his own land, thus improving his knowledge of local products and producers. The results of the survey carried out in the city of Messina have shown that the advantages given by the short supply chain, with respect to the large-scale distribution are: a lower price of consumer products thanks to the removal of the costs linked to intermediation and distribution; the removal of many intermediaries which has reduced negative externalities (environmental costs); a better traceability of products; a fairer compensation to producers; the valorization and revaluation of the territory and a better possibility of purchasing healthy, biological and seasonal products.