Abstract:
In Romania, there is an emerging market of dairy products delivered through short food
supply chains. Although this distribution system has existed since the communist period, and even
though more than three decades have passed since then, the market fails to be mature, subject to
taxation, or achieve a high diversity in terms of dairy categories, with a consolidated marketing
culture that has significant effects on the regional socio-economic environment. The aim of this study
was to observe whether the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has influenced consumer
behavior regarding dairy products delivered directly from producers in Suceava County, Romania.
The research is based on a survey conducted between April and May, 2020, and the analysis relies on
both quantitative and qualitative methods (namely, anthropological and ethnographic). From the
provided responses, it a change was observed in the future buying behavior on short food supply
chains, in a positive sense. One of the key findings was that family represents the main environment
for passing on the values that influence the buying behavior. Another key finding was that the
behavioral changes on the short food supply chains exert pressure on their digital transformations.
