An Assessment of Regional Sustainability through Quality Labels for Small Farmers' Products: A Slovak Case Study

Regional product labelling can help develop regional business activities, especially with traditional regional products. Their general popularity is a significant source of income for less-developed regions. The Gemer-Malohont region is an economically underdeveloped area with a high unemployment rate. The subject of the survey was focused on regional food products that are made by small farmers. The analysis was carried out using data from a questionnaire survey on the period April-July 2017 in each of the region's districts. The results obtained by the questionnaire survey were processed with the use of statistical methods (two-step cluster analysis, radar chart, box-plots, regression analysis) using Microsoft Excel and the IBM SPSS Statistics 23 software. We divided consumers into two groups-knowledgeable regional food purchasers and priced-oriented consumers-based on their preference for regional food and through cluster analysis. We show that the more developed regions (Rimavska Sobota and Roznava) show a higher rate of purchase of regional foods. Less-developed regions (Poltar, Revuca) are represented by lower-income consumers for whom the food price is the decisive criterion. Local residents of backward regions should pay attention to domestic food and local small farmers who are tools for the creation of local capital and local development.