Agri-Food E-Marketplaces as New Business Models for Smallholders: A Case Analysis in Spain

José Manuel García-Gallego, Antonio Chamorro-Mera, Víctor Valero-Amaro, Marta Martínez-Jiménez, Pilar Romero, María Teresa Miranda and Sergio Rubio ()
Additional contact information
José Manuel García-Gallego: Departamento de Dirección de Empresas y Sociología, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Av. Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Antonio Chamorro-Mera: Departamento de Dirección de Empresas y Sociología, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Av. Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Víctor Valero-Amaro: Departamento de Dirección de Empresas y Sociología, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Av. Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Marta Martínez-Jiménez: Departamento de Dirección de Empresas y Sociología, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Av. Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Pilar Romero: Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Av. Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
María Teresa Miranda: Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Av. Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Sergio Rubio: Departamento de Dirección de Empresas y Sociología, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Av. Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: This paper presents the SMALLDERS project, a European initiative aimed at transforming smallholders’ business models through an innovative technological platform. The platform functions as an e-marketplace that connects small farmers directly with consumers while simultaneously promoting environmental sustainability and collaboration across the agri-food value chain. The study evaluates the platform’s commercial viability and acceptance through a mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative and quantitative data. Research methods include focus group sessions, interviews with key stakeholders—such as transport companies, large distributors, and public administrations—and a consumer survey assessing intentions and attitudes toward the e-marketplace. Results indicate limited overall consumer readiness to adopt the platform; however, 48.6% of respondents expressed willingness to use it provided competitive prices and personal benefits are assured. Smallholders regard e-commerce as a promising opportunity, yet they face significant barriers, including limited resources, low digital literacy, and logistical constraints. Stakeholders generally view the platform positively, emphasizing that its success depends on achieving a critical mass of business volume. To foster adoption, SMALLDERS proposes three business models for smallholders: sustainable, cooperative, and technological. The platform includes a user-friendly feature to assist smallholders in transitioning among these models, complemented by training and support services designed to encourage more resilient and innovative agricultural practices.

Keywords: agri-food value chain; sustainability; resilience; technology; e-commerce (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/17/1806/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/17/1806/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:17:p:1806-:d:1731489

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().