Influential Peers! Consumer behavior and complex business relationships in food supply chain networks

Consumers and primary producers are identified as important stakeholders in the necessary evolution to more sustainable agri-food supply chains. To contribute to their sustainable development, this dis-sertation analyzes both consumers current sustainability led food consumption trends and complex interactions among primary producers in food supply chain networks (FSCN). With respect to con-sumers, the influence of consumer comprehension on purchasing behavior of food products that car-ry sustainable food labels is investigated. Furthermore, characteristics of food consumption trends receptive to technological innovations, namely social media marketing, and driven by social innova-tions, this being consumers’ motives to consume food products for health-related luxury reasons are analyzed. Among primary producers, this dissertation investigates the influence of multiplex relation-ship dynamics, i.e. the influence of business and personal relationship dynamics among social net-work members on farmers’ strategic FSCN decisions.