Search

PurposeThe study aims to provide important insights into environmental attributes that are relevant to consumer's choices in purchasing canned tuna fish, and how much these attributes and socio-demographic individual characteristics relate to the frequency of consumption.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey of 251 Italians was carried out. Socio-demographic variables and environmental attributes of the product that consumers pay attention to were considered in a two-step analysis: a cluster analysis used to create a segmentation of people's profiles that are further characterised; a binary logistic regression to assess the significance of attributes in relation to the frequency of canned tuna consumption.FindingsAmong attributes that respondents pay attention to when purchasing canned tuna, the country of origin is the aspect most considered, while other characteristics with a higher content of environmental sustainability received minimal attention. Three clusters emerged: the smallest one, insensitive to sustainability issues; an intermediate group which is mindful of sustainability attributes; and the biggest cluster which is “sustainability inconsistent.” Moreover, respondents who reported concerns about the environmental impacts of tuna production are less likely to consume the product than other consumers; attention paid to the method of farming, the presence of children and a young age show willingness to consume tuna.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on canned tuna consumption by focusing on the attention that consumers pay to environmental product attributes in their purchasing choices. The relevance of this topic might be envisaged in relation to several environmental issues associated with tuna production and consumption, and to the economics and strategies of the tuna industry, being canned tuna among the most internationally traded seafood products.

Based on data drawn from the national section of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) database, the study investigates the efficiency of a panel sample of Italian farms practising other gainful activities. An output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis is performed for each year from 2012 to 2017. A second step of analysis is carried out by using the Malmquist Index in order to analyse inter-temporal productivity changes and to decompose its variation into three components, that is, the variations in pure technical efficiency, the variation in scale efficiency and the technological progress for every two years. Results show there is much room for improving the performances of diversified farms, even when considering the variability observed among farms in terms of efficiency scores and across the investigated period. Some variables at contextual and farm levels – farm's location and size– relate to the efficiency performances of diversified Italian farms. Over the investigated period of time, the technological change supports farms' performances and contrasts some situations of low managerial efficiency.

Farm diversification is an important phenomenon in agricultural systems and rural development in Europe, pursuing economic, social and environmental goals. For the sustainability of diversified farms, it is important to analyse some drivers affecting farm efficiency, for instance, socio-economic, technical and policy drivers. The efficiency performance of a panel of Italian farms practising other gainful activities in the period 2012–2017 was investigated and regressed against the drivers that mostly affects farm performances. FADN data and a two-step approach were used. An output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis was applied; in the second step, efficiency scores were used as a dependent variable in a panel Tobit regression analysis used to determine differences in the significance of drivers. Social, economic, technical and policy drivers were considered as explanatory variables. Results show margins for improving farms performances. The incidence of the output from other gainful activities has been proven to positively affect farms efficiencies, while intermediate costs are the most negatively impacting factor. As regards policy variables and implications, the significance of localization in mountain disadvantaged territories further supports the relevance of EU subsidies in less-favoured areas. Managerial implications in terms of technical, structural and economic indicators can be drawn from study findings.

The central theme of this work revolves around the foodies' movement under three perspectives: firstly, from a conceptual point of view to give account of its relevance in terms of consumer demand; secondly, to verify how, from the supply side, this movement can to some extent encourage and/or strengthen the creation of networks of local actors indispensable to encourage the meeting between the needs of the demand and supply of typical food products; thirdly, based on a case study to demonstrate that the movement of foodies can be exploited within a political action aimed at reorienting local tourism development. A national case study – Alghero, IT – was analysed. By positioning the rural and urban spaces with respect to the foodies' phenomenon, the existence/absence of networks between local stakeholders some obstacles emerged so as many opportunities. The stakeholder analysis was appliedand discussed. This method was very useful for identifying the role, power and leadership that the various local actors have in favoring or hindering the creation of connection networks between the city and the countryside, and in the requalification of the supply of typical foods that fit well into the current demand trend.

The study investigated students’ attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for the protection of some environmental values. The empirical study refers to a site located in Southern Italy and inserted into the Natura 2000 European Network. Students were segmented according to their appreciation of environmental values and the WTP for them. We considered two scenarios of the study site – of use and non-use – and four values – recreational, educational, bequest and existence. Five clusters, from the ‘unconcerned’ to the ‘committed’ one, reveal a diversity of profiles across the sample. Segmentation results point out the multifunctionality of the environmental heritage and highlight the heterogeneity of students’ environmental profiles.

Il lavoro indaga la percezione del valore e del ruolo delle Universita nella promozione di uno sviluppo regionale sostenibile, muovendo dal caso di studio dell’Universita del Molise. Le opinioni del personale docente e degli stakeholder esterni sono congiuntamente rilevate. Entrambi i gruppi ritengono che l’Universita potrebbe intensificare il suo ruolo, ma le opinioni differiscono circa le attivita istituzionali prioritarie - la formazione per gli stakeholder esterni, la ricerca per il personale docente -. La percezione del ruolo dell’Universita a sostegno della dimensione ambientale prevale su quella a favore della dimensione sociale della sosteni-bilita. Modesta e l’attenzione verso la terza missione. Le divergenti opinioni sotto-lineano la necessita di un coinvolgimento sistematico di tutti gli stakeholder rile-vanti prima di avviare processi formali di sostenibilita.

The paper elaborates on the relationship between land cover changes and transformation drivers, by analysing the dynamics that took place between 1990 and 2010 in Mt. Matese area (Italy). Mt. Matese is an interesting case study which was included as a pilot area in the Italian Strategy for Inner Areas. Drivers related to land cover changes include population characteristics, the agricultural and production system, tourist offer, location and settlements dynamics. Land cover changes and the dynamics of studied drivers are analysed in-depth, through a descriptive and multivariate analysis. Results highlight the difficult situation of the study area for many drivers. However, the slow changes in land cover and the potentialities offered by the natural environment, as well as by the agriculture and tourism sectors, outline some development prospects. The paper outlines the current scenario in the area and provides useful references for future policies aimed at setting up this area as National Park and at implementing the Strategy for Inner Areas.

Despite edible seaweeds being a source of protein, amino acids, minerals and vitamins and being part of some traditional cuisines, they are not widely consumed and are not normally included within western diets. Some studies have reported a growing interest in seaweeds among consumers in some European countries; furthermore, there have recently been initiatives in the field of gastronomy to open up new prospects for the future consumption of edible seaweed. Within this context, this study aims to explore Italian consumer attitudes and perceptions of edible seaweed and to profile them in clusters based on different characteristics. Data were collected from a sample of 257 Italian consumers by using a web-based survey. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to reduce the number of variables and a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the PCA scores. The study findings showed that 76% of the sample were willing to eat seaweed. This this may be due to a familiarity with some traditional Italian dishes that use seaweed or to the spread of Asian gastronomy in the country. This willingness to consume seaweed may indicate that consumers are becoming more receptive to novel foods, in particular those that are healthy options or are more sustainable food alternatives. However, only 57% of respondents had eaten seaweed once in the past. The profiling of the sample produced an optimal solution with seven clusters based on different food habits and attitudes towards edible seaweed. This could be useful for developing the sector and promoting seaweed consumption. In five out of seven clusters, ranging from those with a very good to a poor conception of seaweed, consumers consistently paid attention to the health characteristics of food. For several clusters, seaweed characteristics and seaweed availability were revealed as important drivers for influencing consumer attitudes. More information about the health and organoleptic characteristics of seaweed should be at the center of any marketing tools aimed at promoting consumer acceptance. Such tools should also address main factors that could lead consumption choices and policy action such as including edible seaweed within recommended dietary guidelines. Furthermore, the development of the culinary and gastronomic potential of seaweed could be useful for increasing consumption amongst present and future consumers in western countries. These opportunities should be seized in particular regard to those consumer profiles that have shown good disposition towards and willingness to consume seaweed.

The central theme of this work revolves around some initiatives carried out by the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy and is framed within the debate about the relationships between city and countryside with a twofold aim: i. to discuss if and how much gastronomic initiatives can really induce the development of the agricultural and rural systems or if the center of gravity has moved towards the city, so posing new challenges to the rural systems; ii. to bring attention on the need for new directions and more balanced connections between the urban and rural spaces. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network of Gastronomy is considered for its international scope and institutional nature through a desk analysis approach. In addition, a pilot survey to the Italian Creative City of Alba helps to confirm insights and add ideas to the desk analysis. By positioning the urban and rural spaces in the framework of the creative gastronomy, the existence of imbalances and obstacles emerged. The potential of creative territories of gastronomy moves through the recognition of the importance of setting linkages among products, people and places, and ask for an integrated paradigm for new and balanced territorial relationships between the two spaces in theory, practice and policy fields.

This work assessed the environmental impact of cereal straw end-practices at farm gate and highlighted the best on-farm scenario. A sample of cereal farms located in Apulia Region, in Southern Italy, was investigated through a survey questionnaire. Straw incorporation in the soil, straw burning and baling, were the three practices considered. In the light of the ever-growing demand of straw for energy feedstock production, we discussed two scenarios, namely the status quo and the demand pulled scenarios, each one with a different mix of the three straw end-practices. Following farmer's intentions, in the demand pulled scenario a high percentage of straw was baled while reducing straw incorporation; straw burning practice was not eliminated because it allows farmers to prepare the soil for cultivation. Sensitivity analysis tested different wheat and straw allocation methods (economic vs mass and cereal unit allocation). The environmental impact of alternative straw end-practices and scenarios was assessed by means of an attributional Life Cycle Assessment. Straw incorporation resulted the best environmental practice. Scenarios had quite similar impacts for 8 out of 11 impact categories, but the demand pulled scenario was less impacting than the status quo on global warming, human toxicity, and photochemical oxidation impact categories. These results allow us to conclude that the perspective of selling the straw on the local market for energy production is a better solution compared to the current situation.

The study investigates the efficiency of a sample of Italian aquaculture firms according to their legal status, size, and location. An efficiency analysis was conducted for a sample of 160 units using an output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis. The average value of the efficiency scores reveals that it should be possible to significantly increase firm performance. The most inefficient farms are cooperatives, southern farms, and the smallest farms. The weight of efficient units is as follows: 34% of the cooperatives and 26% of the limited liability companies; 26% of units located in Northern-Central regions and 34% of those placed in Southern areas; 47% of the big and 23% of the small firms. Among subgroups of units, the only significant difference in the average efficiency score is related to the firm size. The sensitivity of the results to methodological choices reveals that the variable return to scale hypothesis fits the data better than the constant returns to scale and that bootstrapping while changing the value of the scores does not change findings in terms of size, location, and legal status. Actions which remove obstacles and increase firm size are the most obvious ways to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the sector.

Background The agricultural sector both needs to reduce its impacts and adapt its food production system to cope with environmental constraints and climate changes. This special issue includes three selected papers presented at the 53rd annual Conference of the Italian Society of Agricultural Economics discussing the future of agriculture. The fil rouge linking the three papers is the issue of sustainability that nowadays influences the functioning of the food supply chain and the behavior of all actors involved in it, from producers to consumers. Findings The selected papers investigate the theme of sustainability by exploring strategies for the adoption of sustainable innovation in the food supply chain, developing a model that assesses the effect of climate changes on farm production, as well as evaluating consumer attitudes to wine attributes, including those related to “carbon footprint” and “winescape esthetic.” Conclusions The reading of these papers provides a multifaceted light on different dimensions linking future perspectives of sustainable agriculture between globalization and local market. Papers discuss issues, propose approaches, and show empirical findings that can be useful to fuel the debate about future agricultural policies and stimulate the development of research agendas.

Purpose: Educational farms (EFs) serve a number of social and economic functions and are part of the debate about new learning environments, multifunctional agriculture and firm diversifica...

The aquaculture sector contributes to global food supply and provides an important source of animal protein. Even though the Italian sector has a great potential, from 2008 to 2014 the total volume decreased by 8%. Efficiency improvements may be one factor able to foster the development of the sector. The study aims to estimate the efficiency of the Italian aquaculture cooperatives and to assess differences in efficiency scores according to their size and location. Descriptive statistics for the population of Italian cooperatives were showed based on budget data. An output oriented Data Envelopment Analysis was carried out for a sample of cooperatives. Results showed a great variability among firms in terms of budget and efficiency indicators. Around 40% of firms registered an efficient value under the variable return to scale hypothesis, and about 21% under the constant return to scale hypothesis. Study findings showed that there is an ample room for improving firms’ efficiency. Size is more important than location in relation to the performance of cooperatives. Cooperatives with a smaller size and units located in the Italian Northern regions showed a greater inefficiency.

This paper aims to assess and compare the sustainability of rapeseed and sunflower crop cultivation for energy purposes in Italy, by considering environmental and economic performances at the farm level. The analysis focused on twelve representative farming units that were extracted from a sample of 396 farms by applying a cluster analysis. Using an Attributional Life Cycle Assessment method, the values of midpoint environmental impact categories and the carbon footprint of the twelve farms were assessed. The economic performance of rapeseed and sunflower per 1 Mg of biomass cultivation was measured in terms of the value added. In order to combine an environmental and economic assessment, the eco-efficiency ratio was applied to measure the value added per Mg of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. Three rapeseed farms had the lowest GHG emissions of the whole sample. Practices of intensive farming with high fertilization and mechanization (fertilizer and machinery production and usage) are known to have a negative environmental impact. When the level of productivity is low, the impact is still higher. Regarding the eco-efficiency ratio, of the twelve representative farming units, results showed again that the three rapeseed farms had the highest eco-efficiency ratio. Summarizing both perspectives, findings from the eco-efficiency analysis gave a premium to rapeseed over sunflower crop in terms of the economic value added per kg of GHGs emitted into the atmosphere. The study findings presented a complex picture of the crops and of agricultural practices of each farm that underlines the variability and sensitivity of results in specific case studies. Indeed, the complexity of the matter, including the implications of bioenergy crops for energy and food safety beyond the environmental and economic assessment of the cultivation phase, cannot be ignored. Further studies are needed to apply a multiple perspective to the joint analysis of the sustainability of agricultural processes related to first generation bioenergy crops.

Human - nature relationship concept has recently been reconsidered, emphasizing the benefits humans beings receive from ecosystems. This study moves from the awareness of the importance for organizations that manage protected areas to design strategies and actions aimed at improving the relatedness between the natural world and people, and between individuals. Starting from this premise, the study proposes a voluntary framework of relational accessibility, with the aim of improving the visitor-organization relationship and the human-nature relatedness, and thus creating value for the organizations themselves. After defining the relationship concept, the approach and the content of the framework are set, based on multidisciplinary fields and approaches. The framework follows a cyclical approach and consists of a set of general and specific requirements and guidelines. To support the definition of the framework, relational accessibility is investigated within a specific protected area, through a focus group and a direct survey with children. The framework is then defined in more general terms, so that it can suitable for application to other environmental and organizational contexts. The relational accessibility framework is discussed with the managing board of the study site and compared with other sustainability tools. The implementation of the relational framework within the management system of protected areas could increase the social and economic value of these areas, while at the same time pursuing environmental goals.

The dairy industry is associated with the production of wastewaters and effluents that could have a significant environmental impact because of their pollutant characteristics. Cheese whey is an important source of pollution that needs an appropriate treatment because of several environmental burdens. Thanks to its nutritional value, liquid whey can be successfully recycled in animal nutrition. Following the LCA methodology, this study aims to contribute to the literature on the environmental sustainability of cheese production in a traditional dairy chain, based on an Italian case study and on liquid whey usage. The environmental assessment considers both the milk and the mozzarella cheese production. Three dairy chains and cow diets were assessed and compared: the A diet, with traditional feeding hay and no liquid whey; the B diet, with silages but no liquid whey; the C diet, including both silages and liquid whey. A physical allocation method was used to share the environmental burden between milk and meat at farm level, while the environmental burden of the mozzarella cheese production was totally allocated to curd. A sensitivity analysis based on the cereal unit allocation method was performed. A further sensitivity analysis was performed to compare what the effect would have been considering the variability of milk yield observed in the three diets. Results showed that raw milk production was the most impactful phase along the considered supply chain. Compared with other dairy chains, the C chain with liquid whey recycling did not result the lowest impacting solution at a global environmental perspective, showing best performances on some impacts, but not on others. However, sensitivity analysis testing for the observed yield variability showed that the C diet with whey usage could represent the best option among the different diets.

The livestock production sector represents more than 40 % of the economic value of EU primary productions. This sector consists of a huge diversity of processes and techniques depending on the animal species and the final products. Because of these differences, livestock productions are associated with several adverse effects on the environment, especially in the breeding phases and feeding composition and management; moreover, in terms of raising awareness of the environmental implications of livestock productions, LCA applications are of increasing importance for systematic assessment of the environmental burdens connected with this sector. After an overview of the structural and economic characteristics of the most significant livestock supply chain and its main environmental problems, we provide a description of the international state of the art of LCA implementations for livestock. Methodological problems connected with the application of LCA are investigated, starting with the critical analysis of international papers and the few Italian papers in the scientific literature. Finally, the best practices regarding LCA methodology implementation are proposed, in order to improve results and manage the methodological problems identified.

The current emphasis on sustainable development warrants the development and adoption of innovations to render industrial production more efficient in the use of natural resources and less polluting. In order to develop innovations for sustainability, management models and evaluation tools must integrate objective environmental considerations. One such tool is the Ambitec-Agro System, a set of integrated indicators specifically proposed to assess environmental impacts of agro-industrial innovations. This System compares an innovation’s environmental performance against the preexisting technology, focusing the analysis on the innovation-adopting establishment scale. This study presents a conceptual method that expands the scope of Ambitec-Agro by including life cycle thinking and watershed vulnerability analysis to the environmental performance evaluation of agro-industrial innovations. In order to develop this approach, the steps inherent to a multi-criteria decision support system were followed. The proposed method includes four life cycle phases to evaluate the environmental performance of an agro-industrial innovation: (i) raw material production used by innovation, (ii) innovation production, (iii) innovation use and (iv) its final disposal. The method also includes a vulnerability analysis of the watersheds where each life cycle phase takes place. The proposed integrated method provides decision makers a broadened view of an agro-industrial innovation environmental performance, shedding light on technological improvements throughout its entire life cycle.

The paper investigates the existing relationships between food demand behaviours and households socioeconomic characteristics in Italy by using the istat 2000 and 2006 Consumption Expenditure Household Surveys. The present work represents the first step of a research project directed to deepen the adopted methodological approaches. It consists in two parts. In the first, the results of the descriptive statistical analysis of total, domestic and extra-domestic food expenditures are presented. In the second part, the determinants of total food expenditures are further investigated and ols cross-sectional models are adopted to analyse the existing relations between households socioeconomic characteristics and food expenditures

Paper aims to identify the sustainability of cereal straw end-practices by considering environmental and economic performances at farm level. The carbon footprint and the eco-efficiency ratio of straw end-practices are estimated. Straw incorporation in the soil and baling were the two end-practices considered based on a direct survey to cereal farms located in Apulia Region, Southern Italy. The environmental impact of alternative straw end-practices was assessed by means of an ALCA and based on GHG emissions. A sensitivity analysis tested for different wheat and straw allocation methods. Results showed that incorporation into the soil was more impactful than straw baling due to straw decomposition impacts; furthermore, regardless of the practices, impacts according to the economic allocation method were lower than impacts assessed with the mass allocation method. In order to combine the environmental and economic assessment, the eco-efficiency ratio was calculated by the gross value added per 1 Mg of total wheat residue produced. Eco-efficiency results showed that straw baled for sale had the best eco-efficiency ratio per unit of GHG emitted to the atmosphere. A joint evaluation of economic and environmental performances of cereal straw end-practices through a single indicator, the eco-efficiency ratio, is the main feature of the work that adds relevance to study findings., Proceedings of the 25th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 12-15 June 2017, Stockholm, Sweden, pp. 1727-1731