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This paper aims to get a better insight into the Cretan consumers’ behaviour towards alternative distribution channels (ADCs) of fresh fruits and vegetables. The main factors affecting the purchase decision are investigated and recorded, demonstrating the value of alternative channels in distributing agro-food products.

Six independent variables were chosen to represent the factors that motivate consumers’ behaviour towards the use of ADCs. The factors were classified into two groups: socio-economic factors, mainly age, level of education and monthly family income; and personal factors, such as environmental concerns, pros-ocial beliefs and perceived availability.

The output of the MANOVA tests showed significant results as regards the independent variables (p > 0.05) which disproves the null hypothesis. More specifically, the results of this study showed that consumers’ behaviour towards ADCs is affected by socio-economic factors (age, level of education, monthly family income) and personal factors (environmental concerns, pro-social concerns and perceived availability).

The questionnaire was focussing mainly on three (3) different ADCs: “directly from the producer”, “E-commerce” and “Fair Trade”. Any further research should examine more alternative food networks.

The present study's findings indicate that consumers support ADCs of fruits and vegetables and motivated by ethical stances such as environmental concern and pro-social behaviour. This could develop a new environment and trends not only for consumers but also for entrepreneurs (producers–wholesalers–retailers).

There is limited research concerning ADC of agricultural product in Crete. Thus, findings on consumers’ behaviour with respect to alternative and eventually sustainable distribution channels are a contribution to the literature in the field of sustainable supply chain management. Additionally, this research adds a better understanding of the Cretan consumers’ attitudes towards ADC.

In the midst of the Greek economic and financial crisis, food and beverage firms constitute one of the most dynamic parts of the Greek economy proved resilient in conditions of economic turbulence. The purpose of this paper is to assess the competitiveness of the Greek food and beverage firms within the context of turbulent economic conditions and draw the relevant entailed agricultural policy viewpoints.

The analysis is based on competitiveness measures such as profitability and market share utilizing a sample of 550 firms which published their annual balance sheets the 2008–2012 period. The analysis takes place with the use of a simultaneous equations tobit model.

The main results show that market share, profitability and capital intensity affect positively both on market share and profitability, while operating costs have a negative and statistically significant effect on profitability. The rate of growth affects positively and statistically significant on profitability while the index of loans does not affect on market share. As the results indicate, food and beverages industry has proven resilient in conditions of economic turbulence without direct policy measures or subsidies.

Among other factors, the evolution of agricultural policy is affecting decisively the competitiveness of agro-food sector (Chaddad and Jank, 2006; Banse et al., 1999). Nevertheless, food competitiveness is significantly shaped and influenced within the broad economic climate of a country, region or the whole world. Thus, the present study tries to assess the competitiveness of Greek food and beverages sector in conditions of macroeconomic turbulence and draw the relevant entailed agricultural policy viewpoints.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the factors that consumers evaluate significant in the assessment of food authenticity and guide them to make safe food choices.

In this respect, a mixture model for consumer preferences, namely CUB, was employed due to the ability of discriminate features that are rated similarly allowing the detection of significant similarities and differences in consumers’ judgments. Moreover, introducing covariates in CUB models allow studying the influence that consumers’ socio-demographic characteristics have on the importance of the attributes used in the assessment of food authenticity.

The results demonstrate that organic certificate, traditional and homemade production practices, origin certificate as well as information about product’s origin country and raw materials production region are significant quality cues enable consumers to judge food authenticity. In addition, consumers further segmentation according to socio-demographic characteristics indicate that country of origin information are mainly used by middle-aged consumers, highly educated and paid, whereas production techniques and organic certification constitute the most effective indicators for judging food authenticity by older consumers.

The paper confirms that consumers can use extrinsic and intrinsic quality cues to judge food’s authenticity.

The economic and social problems, including high unemployment, facing the Greek economy in recent years are substantial. The role of the agri-food sector and agriculture in dealing with unemployment is a concern. To support the agricultural economy, a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2007–2014 was adopted and implemented in the EU Member States. However, boosting employment, in the industry itself and indirectly in the economy, has almost never been a key goal of any policy. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the CAP 2014–2020 in maintaining and enhancing employment and income distribution in the region of Central Macedonia.

The authors used the regional social accounting matrix (SAM), which examines the depiction of the interconnections between the sectors of economic activity and local economy (households, businesses, public) but also interconnections and transactions with the rest of the world. The SAM presents a more complete picture of the economic figures of the region, evaluating the interconnections of cross-sectoral relations and the implemented policies, both in the production sectors and in the regional society.

For the Central Macedonia region, the agricultural sector is a key player, holding a regulatory role for regional economic viability, and shows marked connections with the other industry branches of the region.

The new CAP 2014–2020 through Pillar 2–Rural Development may reinforce the new role of the industry in terms of the environment, integrated rural development and social structure of rural areas, ensuring coherence.

The purpose of this paper is to further develop the extant export problems literature by focusing on a context that has attracted limited attention so far, namely the wine sector. The objective is to examine empirically Greek wine firms' perceptions of the factors that may impede their export activities.

Primary data were gathered from 110 wine firms that responded to a battery of exporting problem items. A combination of exploratory, confirmatory and cluster analyses were employed to classify and profile firms according to their perceptions about the frequency of export problems.

Three clearly distinct clusters were formed. The results indicate that export problems are likely to occur in firms that are more passive in terms of export activities than in firms that adopt active and competitive export postures.

The findings are interpreted and discussed in the light of extant theory. Particular attention is paid to the implications for management and public policy administrators. The study is confined to a single country/single industry context and provides an overview of the problems experienced only by indigenous wine firms in export markets.

Although the study corroborates the extant literature, it is innovative in that the sample, i.e. the census population of Greek exporting wine firms, lends more credence to the findings for the particular sector and the export problems literature.