Digitalization and Short Food Supply Chains in Hungary

The study focuses on the relationship between local producers and consumers in agri-food chains and the future potential of online sales channels in the rural economy through the example of a Hungarian micro-region. The paper categorises the Hungarian micro-regions and identifies the districts that could be considered for the introduction of such online system by multivariable secondary data analysis. It also identifies the conditions for the operation of that system from both the consumer and producer perspectives and determines the main users of it and its potential rural development impacts. The results emphasise the increasing role of short food supply chains and online solutions in rural development strategies. Our main proposal is to develop and test an online system that could support the development of the local economies and the competitiveness of rural areas.