Who Reaches the Consumer? A Network Analysis of Market Reach Factors of Slovakia’s Short Food Supply Chains

The aim of this study is to identify the factors that shape the ability of producers in short food supply chains in Slovakia to utilize different types of distribution channels and to penetrate higher-demand markets. The analysis was based on a database compiled from a public SFSC platform, comprising 986 agri-food producers, 1434 points of sale, and 1908 producer–point of sale ties. The data were analyzed as a two-mode network using ERGM models. The results show that most producers remain tied to local direct sales, while access to more demanding channels and distant markets is concentrated among a small group of actors. The study shows that the functioning of SFSCs in Slovakia is strongly shaped by producer size, value added, and the form of production organization. Organic certification emerges as a key tool of product differentiation that enhances ability to access distant and urban markets, although its importance in a post-socialist context is highly dependent on market characteristics. Family farms are selectively able to supply distant markets, while cooperatives, despite their expected association with commodity-oriented production, are able to overcome capacity and logistical barriers within SFSCs, indicating the emergence of new collaborative structures and business models.