The project aims to assess the potential and pathways for growing local and regional markets for locally produced food—Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC)—as viable business ventures in the Baltic Sea region and Ukraine. In the context of the war in Ukraine, heightened geopolitical risks, and Ukraine’s path toward EU membership, SFSC are increasingly recognized as key components of crisis‑response and food security strategies. Digitalization further expands opportunities by enabling producer–consumer interactions beyond traditional local markets.
Despite this emerging relevance, SFSC remains marginal due to knowledge gaps, institutional and logistical barriers, and limited consumer awareness. The project addresses these challenges by strengthening cross‑border cooperation and developing a scalable framework for mapping and analyzing SFSC in both the Baltic Sea region and Ukraine.
Activities include joint research, mapping, stakeholder workshops, and the development of targeted policy recommendations, supported by an international conference to consolidate regional engagement in SFSC development.