TRANSPORTATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE FOOD MARKETS (THE CASE OF GEORGIA)

Introduction. The paper analyses the three pillars of transportation and evaluates the development models of the transportation system. It is evident that transportation plays a crucial role in the development of food markets. The level of transportation infrastructure has a direct impact on the improvement of food accessibility and the process of forming a sustainable food market. Furthermore, transportation can greatly contribute to inclusive economic growth, diversification of exports, introduction of innovations, reduction of costs, minimisation of food losses, and so forth. The allocation of resources towards the development of transportation infrastructure, particularly in relation to the export of Georgian agri-food products to international markets, is regarded as a crucial strategy for fostering sustainable food markets. Aim and tasks. The principal aim of this paper is to identify the challenges inherent in the transportation of foodstuffs and to determine the opportunities that will encourage the formation of sustainable food markets. To this end, an analysis of the transportation sector was undertaken. The "urgency-impact" matrix was employed to identify the challenges inherent to the field of food transportation, while the "priorities scheme" was utilised to ascertain the potential avenues for the sustainable development of transportation and food markets. Research results. The paper concludes that there is a positive correlation between the indicators of the development of transportation and sustainable food markets. Nevertheless, this is inadequate to affect economic growth. The overcoming of challenges in the research area will facilitate improvements in transportation and the diversification of food markets, particularly in Europe. Conclusion. The paper presents conclusions regarding the challenges inherent to the transportation of foodstuffs and proffers recommendations for the advancement of sustainable food markets through the surmounting of these challenges.