SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE ORGANIC FOOD CONSUMER’S BEHAVIOUR AND ITS IMPACT UPON THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL TOOLS FOR SMALL FARMERS IN ROMANIA

Abstract

The small entrepreneurship on the Romanian food market is facing a series of concerns closely connected to the particular issues of an emerging economic sector. The entrepreneurial reactions are, quite often, intuitive, fall within a relation with the consumer which has been historically shaped in the zone of merchant behaviour, and barely employ digital technologies for business development. Having as a starting point the correlation between the buyer’s role and digital user’s role of the Romanian consumer, as observed in a questionnaire run nationwide, in the present paper, we aim to identify the development opportunities of the small entrepreneurship on the food market of Romania, through integrated social media technologies. By analysing the dynamics of the purchase behaviour and food consumption, digital culture and pragmatism of the consumer, and also the influence exerted by the supply chains upon the purchase decision, we intend to investigate three main clusters of consumers who believe they purchase organic food and, thus, provide helpful suggestions for small entrepreneurs from this niche sector, who wish to further their development strategies.