THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHORT FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

<ns3:p>It is commonly believed that short food supply chains contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. However, such a view cannot be substantiated without supporting evidence. Therefore, the main purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the subject, considering both sustainable development and short food supply chains. The aim is to establish a foundation of knowledge in this field and, on this basis, to formulate an informed perspective on the issue. The study applied the PRISMA guidelines for systematic literature reviews. In the identification phase, the Scopus database was used. The results indicate that the relationships between short food supply chains and the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability are not unequivocal, although most studies confirm the positive impact of short food supply chains on the sustainable development of farms and rural areas. Engaging in short selling generally improves the economic performance of farms and increases their social involvement, but the impact on the natural environment remains ambiguous.</ns3:p>