Unpacking the motivations behind direct purchases from the farmer: The role of personal versus public outcomes in Italy

The short food supply chain (SFSC) is a key component of sustainable food systems; however, its implementation remains limited, representing only a small proportion of farms in the European Union, thereby underscoring the need for further expansion. The aim of this research is to investigate how consumer beliefs regarding SFSC affect purchasing decisions in the Italian context. Our conceptual framework links consumer beliefs about public and personal outcomes to the intention to purchase directly from farmers. Developing new scales derived from documents published by European Union-affiliated entities, we employed partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings reveal that personal outcomes have a greater impact on purchasing intention than public outcomes, with notable distinctions between urban and rural residents. These outcomes offer insights for devising strategies to promote SFSCs that not only align with the sustainability goals of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy but also contribute to understanding SFSC motivations, highlighting the need for localized policy and marketing strategies tailored to regional socio-economic and cultural contexts.