The structure and development perspectives of microgreens market in Croatia

Sa？etak The growing demand for functional foods has led to the increased consumer interest in micro-greens, i.e. seedlings of edible vegetables, aromatic herbs and cereals. The aim of this research was to define the microgreens supply chain in Croatia, to investigate the motives of the supply chain members for introducing microgreens into their business, as well as to explore development possibilities of this market. Qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 11 chain members: 4 manufacturers, 5 retailers and 2 restaurants. Although the supply of microgreens is relatively small in the domestic market, microgreens are sold through different selling channels: restaurants, supermarkets, health food stores, city markets, fairs and farm sales. The main motives for introduction of microgreens by producers are additional income, undemanding production technology and the desire for innovation. Traders have introduced microgreens into their offer because of consumer demand and the recognized high nutritional value of microgreens. Restaurants started to offer microgreens following modern cuisine trends. In the near future, a significant increase in the consumption of microgreens is expected, which will also increase quantity and assortment of supply. However, one of the major obstacles to future market growth is poor consumer awareness of microgreens