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This paper analyses the impact of a development programme designed at promoting the sustainable use of Andean Grain diversity. Results demonstrate that knowledge-sharing on agronomic practices, on benefits derived from consumption, and improving Andean Grain quality had a positive impact on income generation and farmer livelihoods. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of programmes aimed at improving rural livelihoods through greater knowledge transfer and use of local agrobiodiversity, wherein private benefits may incentivise the public benefits of agrobiodiversity use and conservation. Findings warrant the need to further monitor and evaluate the potential of agrobiodiversity to improve the well-being of rural communities. © 2017 The Authors Journal of International Development Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

This paper aims to test whether vertical integrated farms show a significant higher economic performance when compared with those not integrated. The Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network was used, for the years 2008-2011, focusing on farms producing durum wheat. Empirically, a propensity score-matching model was implemented in an attempt to estimate average differences, in some farm performance indexes, including costs and profitability, between vertical integrated and non-integrated farms. The analysis on the effects of a vertical integration showed that supply chain integration increases farms' competiveness and profitability.), Italian Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol 71 No 1 (2016): Vol 71, No 1 (Suppl.) (2016)

This paper aims to provide insights into consumer motivational systems and their relations with fair trade product purchasing behavior. In order to pursue this goal, the effectiveness of two alternative approaches, proposed in the literature and tested in Belgium and Germany, were formally assessed in Italy. The two sets of scales were tested for predicting purchasing behavior by using a sample of Italian consumers. Although both sets of scales showed good internal reliability and statistical evidence of behavioral predictive validity, one of the two sets under assessment is able to depict actual behavior in much greater depth than the other.

Ethical consumption may be divided into ecologically friendly and socially conscious patterns. Among these two distinct aspects, in this paper we focus our attention on the second one. More precisely, we are interested to investigate Fair Trade (FT) products consumption, one prominent example of socially conscious consumption. Fair consumption signifies consuming with reference to fair terms of trade for poor producers in poor countries. Scientific interest and researches into socially conscious consumption and fair trade consumption, in particular, have grown significantly in recent decades. Several authors have researched about motivational systems and their relations with FT products purchasing behavior, so the relationships between values, attitudes, intention and behavior has been widely investigated with the aim to determine the flow of causality from the values, attitudes, intentions and purchasing consumer behavior. Numerous empirical studies consider the linkages between Schwartz’s values and behavior. From many empirical findings a flow of causality from values to behavior emerges suggesting that values may influence behavior both directly and indirectly through mediator variables. Among the mediators proposed to improve the relationship between values and behavior in the food area is the Food-Related Lifestyle (FRL) (Grunert, 1993; Grunert et al., 1997). Moreover, the motivational system that influence the purchasing behavior is strongly affected by the social context, that is socio-economic and cultural variables. Studies on values-behavior relationships have been conducted in a large variety of cultures (Davidov et al., 2008). The obtained results suggest the existence of similarities and differences of value priorities in relation to other variables, specifically related to socio-economic context that could be a relevant factor affecting personal values and behaviors and it could explain differences both across countries and within countries. Starting from this results, in this paper we aim to investigate the role of socio-economic context and personal values as intermediate mediator both on the intention and fair trade consumption product in Italy, where FT is a growing phenomenon but still very restricted. In particular, we aimed to assess how the level of economic development, the quality of life, the social environments and the Schwartz’ set of values, influence both intention and FT purchasing behavior. For this purpose we conducted a survey based analysis. Data on fair trade consumption and information on socio-demographic and economic characteristics, personal values, intention and consumption behavior were collected by means of a web administered questionnaire submitted through the website of the General Assembly of the Italian Fair Trade (AGICES), the most important Italian fair trade organization. More than five hundred and fifty responses were collected and analyzed using a structural equations model.

In spite of several cases study existing that assess the profitability of farms participating in direct sales activities (Brown, 2002; Brown and Miller (2008), no analysis has verified whether the notion that farmers participating in short supply chains are profitable holds to the empirical test. The objective of this analysis is that of testing econometrically whether farmers joining short supply chains do experience better performances, accounting for confounding factors and endogeneity of channel choice decision. To that end, we use the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) referred to 2010. Results indicate that participation in SSCs doesn’t positively contribute to farms profitability. We use this preliminary empirical evidence to shape future research steps in this domain, and namely to further investigate the differential impact of participation in SSCs on gross sales and variable costs.

This paper shows the results of empirical research conducted to assess the sustainability of a typical food supply chain, suggesting feasible solutions to satisfy inter-dimensional requisites of durable development. The analysis was conducted with reference to the supply chain of the San Marzano tomato (SMZ), a typical local food. The product is endowed with an origin certification label (PDO), meeting demand within high-value market niches. The SMZ is a flagship product in the Italian region of Campania and has benefited from several regionally funded interventions, such as genetic research and support for the application for EU certification of origin). Two key findings emerged from the research. First, the results allowed us to define a Stakeholder Priority and Responsibilities’ Matrix (SPRM), and monitor the sustainability trend of SMZ food supply chains. Second, the consistency between the adoption of quality strategy (brand of origin) and sustainable development of the sector was evaluated. Despite its intrinsic characteristics and its organized, well-defined structure, the SMZ food supply chain is unable to address sustainable objectives without considerable public intervention and support. In terms of sustainability, to be able to show desirable food chain characteristics, the existence of a fully collaborative relationship between the actors has to be ascertained. Identifying shared goals is essential to assign and implement coordinated actions, pooling responsibility for product quality into social and environmental dimensions., International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 2, No 3 (2011): Special issue on sustainability in the food sector

When a traceability system takes place, either when mandatory or voluntary, many questions arise that need to be addressed and answered. One of the firsts concerns whether it introduces new costs with no gain in efficiency or, on the contrary, the system efficiency increases lowering costs and, as a consequence, market price of the good in hand. Among others, another issue that only rarely is addressed regards the effect of a price change on the final market. The objective of this paper was to simulate the effect on fresh Italian vegetables market of prices change due to a newer traceability procedure, focusing on early potato. Reasons why early potato was the main object of our study will be explained in detail later in the paper. Moreover, this study concerns a demand system estimation that has, as main goal, the measurement of own and cross price elasticities as well as expenditure elasticities. Such estimations are not strictly related with traceability because they measure any change in quantity demanded due to price changes due to any market perturbation. However, since early potato is experiencing a peculiar market and chain change in Italy, our simulation is meant to reason in terms of a “what if” approach, formally simulating the effect of any change in price due to an hypothesis of traceability system involved. In order to estimate a demand system, real household consumption data (3,000 observations) of a statistically representative sample of the Italian population of households was taken into account. Relevant measures of market variables were estimated by means of a Linear Almost Ideal Demand System implementing a large set of fresh vegetables: potato split in early and late, cabbage, salad, mushrooms, fruits vegetables, roots, asparagus, onion, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, zucchinis and others., International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 1, No 4 (2010)

The agri ‐food sector and food consumption models have experienced both worldwide and in Europe a process of change that still appears ongoing. The main effects of this change are clearly visible in a whole series of new developments. The most interesting of these appears to be the role played by food product quality as a basis on which to implement modern marketing policies targeting an increasingly segmented market. This obviously makes it necessary for food consumption analysts to shed light on what it means, within today’s European and world consumption scenarios, to produce quality goods. On this point, in recent years the concept of quality may be said to have undergone rapid evolution. Quality has gone from meaning only intrinsic product attributes, hence synonymous with excellence, to a broader definition full of different meanings. (more...), Proceedings in Food System Dynamics, Proceedings in System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks 2010

Traceability can serve various purposes in the food sector, including that of chain quality control. However, the aspects that seem to be most frequently required of traceability are those related to food safety. Nevertheless, traceability systems development has recently shifted its focus from the major aspects of food safety to a price premium search approach. Although such an approach often appears to lie behind production strategies, there is no technical or theoretical evidence to support it: traceability systems do not guarantee, per se, quality. On the other hand, a rigorous traceability system that pursues multiple objectives involves costly procedures that are very likely to feed all the way up to the consumer side. (more.....), Proceedings in Food System Dynamics, Proceedings in System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks 2010

The objective of this paper is to assess the possible influence of the 1994 In Trust Agreements (ITAs) on acquisition and distribution of germplasm held by the International Research Rice Institute (IRRI) genebank. The agreements, legally affirmed the ‘public good’ status of the collections that were placed ‘In Trust’ for the benefit of the world community under agreements with FAO. They initiated a formal system of multilateral access to CGIAR-held ex situ genetic resources. The hypothesis that the consequences of the ITAs lead to an enhancement of CGIAR germplasm utilization is tested here using a basic conceptual framework to infer on factors determining the distribution of germplasm. Subsequently, a Bayesian empirical model is applied to IRRI accessions distribution’s time-series to provide formal evidence to the hypothesis. Results show that there is a discernible ‘change’ point that would support a significant drop in germplasm distribution followed by a new growing trend around the establishment of the ITAs. This had followed a period beginning around 1989 and leading up to the establishment of the ITAs of a large number of requests for restoration of germplasm back to countries of origin and a reduction in acquisitions. As a result the number of accessions held by IRRI reached a low point around 1994. The number of accessions might not have been built back up without the establishment of a stable policy environment that was provided by the ITAs.

Il lavoro individua ed analizza alcuni nuovi e rilevanti problemi nei cui confronti la ricerca in campo economico-agrario già offre o potrebbe offrire contributi di conoscenza ed informazione necessari od utili per meglio orientare le scelte dei decisori politici. Tali nuovi problemi sorgono a motivo dei cambiamenti che stanno avvenendo all’interno ed all’esterno del settore agricolo ed agro-industriale o, anche, nel sistema delle preferenze adottato dal corpo sociale ed, inoltre, a motivo dei progressi già realizzati nello stesso grado di conoscenza della realtà.

The increased environmental awareness is affecting the food supply chain since food system emissions represents a big share (from 19% to 29%) of total greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon emissions reduction target represents a global challenge gaining the headlines around the world and pushing academic scientists to discuss actively possible technical innovations, economic consequences and environmental benefits. However, carbon footprint estimates largely differ across the literature, even though they refer to the same food product, involving the same production processes. The present paper addresses explicitly the latter drawback, implementing a meta-analysis focused on fresh vegetables chain. The objective is assessing the uncertainty of "Carbon footprint" estimates, seeking a meaningful statistical description of the findings of a vast collection of studies. Our results show the large estimates variability across empirical studies and how these estimates largely depend by certain study-specific characteristics, like methodology adopted

This paper discusses how to develop and manage integration, coordination and cooperation in bio-energy supply chains. Farmers decisions on whether or not to participate in a contract farming scheme have been investigated, particularly assessing the trade-offs between the contract attributes and their impact on the likelihood to participate. A stated preference model was implemented where respondents were asked to choose between alternative contracts with varying attribute levels to start biomass cultivation. Results show that participation is mainly influenced by minimum price guaranteed, contract length, and re-negotiation before the end of a contract.

(1) Background: The pressure that agricultural systems’ intensive management exerts on the environment concerns society. For this reason, the demand for sustainable foods is growing in the market. This study investigated consumers’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) for dry semolina pasta produced with raw materials from more diversified agricultural systems and which factors influence this choice. (2) Methods: The data, collected through a contingent valuation exercise, involved 185 Italian consumers. Through a Tobit model, the drivers influencing the WTP were selected. A latent class cluster analysis determined four different groups of consumers. (3) Results: The data highlighted a real social demand for sustainability. Consumers recognize a higher WTP for sustainable pasta. This value is influenced by drivers such as purchasing habits, personal characteristics, and environmental attitudes. (4) Conclusions: This work offers an approach, both from a market and political point of view, to how this higher potential WTP could be identified and redistributed among the value chain actors by structuring both marketing strategies for the different types of consumers and political tools able to help agri-food chains towards sustainability transition.

The analysis of treatment effect at various quantiles for two or more treatment conditions is discussed. Treatment effects are estimated using (i) inverse propensity score weights; (ii) unconditional outcome distribution within each group. Through (i) and (ii) the standard double robust estimator is extended to evaluate the treatment effects of binary/multiple treatment options not only on average but also in the tails (quantiles), to assess whether the treatment effect is constant or varies across the quantiles.

An empirical approach for the analysis of treatment effect at various quantiles in the case of multiple treatment conditions is here proposed. Outcome changes under multiple treatment conditions are computed using (a) inverse propensity score weights and (b) unconditional outcome distribution within each group. Through (a) and (b), the standard double robust estimator is extended to evaluate treatment effect not only on average but also in the tails (quantiles). A Monte Carlo study designed to examine and assess the performance of the proposed approach and two empirical applications conclude the analysis.

This study reveals the consumer side of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the food industry, exploring awareness, preferences and willingness to pay for CSR of a representative sample of Italian households. The results clearly indicate that Italian consumers reveal a high level of awareness within clear, though heterogeneous, preferences for CSR initiatives. Five consumers' groups were identified: ‘environmentalists’, ‘pro‐socials’, ‘collectivists’, ‘animal friends’ and ‘selfish health centered’. Furthermore, the study reveals consumers' willingness to pay a premium price to reward food companies addressing their concerns and expectations in terms of CSR. Findings offer insights for business managers on how to promote CSR, developing communication and information strategies focusing on specific needs and personal relevance within a group of consumers.

Animal welfare involves societal and human values, ethical concerns and moral considerations since it incorporates the belief of what is right or what is wrong in animal treatment and care. This paper aims to ascertain whether the different dimensions of individual attitudes toward animal welfare in food choices may be characterized by general human values, as identified by Schwartz. For this purpose, an EU-wide survey was carried out, covering almost 2500 nationally representative individuals from five European countries. Compared with the previous literature this study shows a twofold novelty: (1) it develops a general framework to link individual enduring beliefs and attitudes toward animal welfare attributes in food choices; (2) the framework is analyzed within a broad-based cross-country study. Our empirical results prove that human values related to self-transcendence are strongly associated to overall animal welfare attitudes and especially to those explicitly related to food choices, while values related to the spheres of self-enhancement and conservatism are significantly associated to less sensitive attitudes to animal welfare. Moreover, our results appear to indicate that a determinant of animal welfarism in food choices is potentially associated to individual concerns regarding food safety issues.

Although Forest Principles promoting responsible forest management were formally adopted in 1992, the sustainability of forests is still undermined by harmful practices. In this regard, voluntary forest certification may represent an effective way to lessen the negative impacts of timber and forestry products upon the environment and upon the living conditions of local populations. This work aims to investigate the role of socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of the forestry certification schemes and attitudinal factors on the purchasing intention of certified wood-derived products in Italy. A convenience sample of 371 consumers were interviewed through an online–administered questionnaire, and data collected were analysed by means of an ordered probit model. The results show that income and age, together with knowledge of the main certification labels and the attitudes towards certifications, have a positive and statistically significant effect on intentions to purchase certified wood products Keywords, International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 9, No 4 (2018): Special issue: Credence attibutes, consumer trust, and sensory expectations in modern food markets

This study analyses the degree to which wine consumers are truly able to intrinsically evaluate the meaning of a designation of origin certification or whether they generally consider such a certification to be a vague credence attribute. This issue was addressed through an empirical analysis of Homescan Panel data in the Italian and German markets, using a Heckman probit model to assess the role of consumers’ characteristics and habits in the choice of ‘Prosecco’ wines characterized by two different levels of the denomination of origin certification. Our results suggest that Prosecco sparkling wine is perceived as a product of medium-high positioning and is preferably purchased by households that buy wines with a higher unit price. In contrast, consumers who appreciate sparkling wine did not show any preference towards a specific type of Prosecco, especially outside the area of production, such as in the German market, which suggests that they still do not completely understand the difference between the certification levels.

Summary This paper presents an approach for assessing the effectiveness of projects aimed at creating incentives for smallholder farmers to continue maintaining crop diversity under evolution on their farms in relevant centers of genetic diversity—a process known as on-farm conservation. It is applied to five projects involving native crops in the High Andes of South America. Results show evidence that projects have been effective at supporting farmers to maintain crop diversity on-farm while generating positive livelihood outcomes. Implications and challenges of both the approach and the results for sustainable use and conservation of crop biodiversity are discussed.

Smallholder farmers who grow diverse landraces in centres of crop diversity contribute to sustaining the capacity of agricultural and food systems to adapt to change by maintaining crop evolution in their fields today, thus enabling humanity to continue to have the broad genetic variation needed to adapt crops to changes tomorrow. Given this fact, the last 20 years have witnessed an ever-growing interest in on-farm conservation of crop infra-specific diversity. While numerous projects to support it have been, and continue to be, implemented worldwide, there has been very little systematic assessment of the extent to which these projects have been effective at contributing to the maintenance of crop diversity on-farm and the creation of associated benefits for the farmers involved. The factors and relationships implicated in attaining conservation and livelihood results are complex, so that a conceptual scheme that brings them together in a simplified but coherent fashion can be extremely useful for the sc...

Crop variety mixtures (different varieties of a crop grown together in a single plot) have been successfully deployed in pathogen and pest management for several crops including wheat, common bean and rice. Despite the available evidence, promotion of this approach has remained limited in many countries, including Uganda. The factors that influence farmers' adoption of varietal mixtures for common bean and banana were assessed, as well as the perceptions of farmers on the effects of mixtures on yields, through household surveys and statistical modelling. A three-year yield increase in both common bean and banana varietal mixtures in farmer fields, of 5.2% and 28.6%, respectively, is realized using robust OLS estimates. The study reveals that accessing knowledge on the importance of crop varietal mixtures and the skills relating to the approach are crucial for their adoption. Location of the farm significantly determined the perceived yield change, which calls for more research into mixtures' suitability under particular contexts in respect to compatibility of genotypes, management practices and appropriate acreage for maximum impact. The positive effects of mixtures on yields make it an effective biologically friendly economy strategy. Policies that minimize the adoption barriers could improve the adoption of crop varietal mixtures on a wider scale.

The current linear system of production and consumption is unsustainable. In the food sector, despite the fact that valuable natural resources are intensively used to produce and distribute food products, little is done to upcycle residues generated along the supply chain. Circular economy strategies are crucial for restructuring the take-make-dispose model through the active participation of all actors of supply chains. However, little is known about consumers’ willingness to participate in circular economy. A structured questionnaire was submitted to a representative sample of Italian households to assess the willingness of consumers to be actively involved in closed loops aiming at reducing food waste. Consumers are involved by returning their organic food waste to retailers in exchange for discounts on the purchase of animal products. The organic food waste returned enters in the production process of animal products. A choice experiment was designed to analyse alternative programs. Two scenarios were presented: one with a traditional technology (composting), and a second one with a radically innovative technology (insects as feed). Preferences and trade-offs, in monetary terms, among attributes were computed. Results depict a comprehensive portrait of the potential participation of consumers to closed loops inspired by the principles of circular economy.

This study aims at assessing if benefits, based on the economic performance of farms operating in an agro-food supply chain, are generated by a vertical coordination. A panel data (2008–2011) of durum wheat producers was used, namely the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Outcomes of coordinated and non-coordinated farms with equal farm and farmer characteristics were calculated through different economic performance measures. A propensity score-matching model was implemented to take account of the selection bias due to observed individual heterogeneity. The comparisons of average differences in farm economic performance indexes, including costs and profitability, show a coordination premium in competitiveness and profitability of Italian durum wheat farms.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of socio-economic context in affecting the relationship between personal values and the purchase of fair trade (FT) products. Design/methodology/approach The study was based on data and information collected by means of a web-administered survey and was performed in two steps. First, an explanatory factor analysis on the Schwartz value system and a confirmatory factor analysis on socio-economic context variables were carried out. Second, the per capita GDP at provincial level and the predicted factor scores were used in an ordered probit model to explain the expenditure level of FT products. Findings The results provide evidence that the value system has an effect on the consumption of FT products, but the economic context, in particular the average wealth at province level, is also relevant and plays a role by either affecting FT product purchasing levels directly or interacting with personal values. Research limitations/implications Because of the electronic submission and the specific channel used in the survey, the sample cannot be considered as representative of Italian consumers, and thus the analysis has a merely descriptive (non-inferential) function. Originality/value While several studies investigated how personal values affect consumers’ behaviour directly or indirectly, very few studies analysed the way socio-economic context interacts with the value structure and the way both aspects influence ethical consumption. The present study analyses this last aspect and provides evidence of the role economic context plays in affecting the relationship between personal values and FT products consumption.

Purpose Several approaches have been proposed to evaluate treatment effect, relying on matching methods propensity score, quantile regression, influence function, bootstrap and various combinations of the above. This paper considers two of these approaches to define the quantile double robust (DR) estimator: the inverse propensity score weights, to compare potential output of treated and untreated groups; the Machado and Mata quantile decomposition approach to compute the unconditional quantiles within each group – treated and control. Two Monte Carlo studies and an empirical application for the Italian job labor market conclude the analysis. The paper aims to discuss these issue. Design/methodology/approach The DR estimator is extended to analyze the tails of the distribution comparing treated and untreated groups, thus defining the quantile based DR estimator. It allows us to measure the treatment effect along the entire outcome distribution. Such a detailed analysis uncovers the presence of heterogeneous impacts of the treatment along the outcome distribution. The computation of the treatment effect at the quantiles, points out variations in the impact of treatment along the outcome distributions. Indeed it is often the case that the impact in the tails sizably differs from the average treatment effect. Findings Two Monte Carlo studies show that away from average, the quantile DR estimator can be profitably implemented. In the real data example, the nationwide results are compared with the analysis at a regional level. While at the median and at the upper quartile the nationwide impact is similar to the regional impacts, at the first quartile – the lower incomes – the nationwide effect is close to the North-Center impact but undervalues the impact in the South. Originality/value The computation of the treatment effect at various quantiles allows to point out discrepancies between treatment and control along the entire outcome distributions. The discrepancy in the tails may differ from the divergence between the average values. Treatment can be more effective at the lower/higher quantiles. The simulations show the performance at the quartiles of quantile DR estimator. In a wage equation comparing long and short term contracts, this estimator shows the presence of an heterogeneous impact of short term contracts. Their impact changes depending on the income level, the outcome quantiles, and on the geographical region.

The wine market has evolved dramatically over the last three decades. The premium wine segment has expanded significantly to the detriment of basic wines. Nevertheless, in traditional wine producing and consuming countries, inexpensive wines still account for a large market share, both in volume and value. Marketing strategies for such wines are changing in an attempt to tap this increasingly crowded market segment. Despite its importance, the basic wine segment has not been studied in depth, and is often assumed to have no product differentiation. This paper tried to ascertain the existence of a possible degree of heterogeneity within non-premium wines and to measure, by means of elasticity computation, the relationships among categories of wines aggregated with criteria that go beyond price. A demand system (censored QUAIDS) was estimated, using a statistically representative panel of 6,773 Italian households, to see to what extent, if any, substitution occurs in home consumption of basic wines, which is the main channel of distribution of inexpensive wines in Italy. Although price is an important lever in supply policies, our results also suggest the importance of packaging, such as carton as an alternative to glass.

Food choice and consumption behaviour are influenced by many interacting factors. In this paper we present an empirical effort to enhance understanding of the neophobia-neophilia forces affecting food choice. Starting from the analysis of consumer preferences for some of the most familiar highly processed foods, namely fat-reduced, functional (enriched drinks and yogurt) and ready-to-eat frozen food, our study investigates the role of traditional demographic variables vs attitudes to new food technologies in predicting the consumption behaviour of a sample of Italians buying such products. Consumer attitudes toward food technologies were collected by means of the Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS). Moreover, this paper explicitly analyses the value of the information provided by the FTNS. Underlying the research is the hypothesis that the FTNS may contribute to provide a comprehensive picture of the driving forces behind consumers' behavioural responses towards processed foods which are the end-result of mature technologies. The four FTNS components, once measured and used independently, help clarify the influence on food choices of each neophobia-neophilia force (risk perception and novelty seeking, media influence, own health and environmental concerns) into a single, comprehensive framework. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

In the wake of highly volatile world prices of staple commodities, we examine the impacts of increases in maize prices on various categories of households in Malawi. Using household-level data, changes in household income are calculated taking into account the net maize production status of the household and food price elasticities estimated from a censored demand system. While maize price increases have unequivocal deleterious effects on the incomes of urban households, rural households experience differential impacts. Net producing households in rural areas benefit from price increases with households above the poverty line obtaining proportionally higher incomes.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of a set of interventions related to conservation and use of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) on people's livelihoods. Specifically, a simultaneous three-equation model of households' participation on underutilized crops conservation and income generation activities is applied to evaluate the outcome of a pilot research project implemented by Bioversity International in Yemen between 2002 and 2005. Results generated show a relation between project participation and the perceived yield increase demonstrating the importance for farmers to actively participate in the project's activities and subsequently apply agronomic practices learnt to improve their livelihood. The generated benefits incentivized farmers to continue to apply the interventions beyond the lifetime of the project ensuring thus a sustainable process in which exogenous interventions, once adopted by farmers become integrant part of farmer's agronomic practices.

This article analyzes the relationship between the preferences of European consumers for process attributes of pig farming, broadly related to sustainable oriented practices, and the individual human values as identified by Schwartz. A sample of 2437 nationally representative individuals from five European countries was analyzed using a generalized logit model. Our contribution suggests that European consumers are aware of the environmental impact of pig production. Swine production attributes that emerged, as most significant, in our survey are those related to the possibilities of pigs being raised outdoors. Less important, bust still significant, are the positive consumers preference for low fat content, standard meat quality and small farm size. Finally, our results suggest that consumers preferences are massively linked to individual values. In particular, consumers showing enhanced “self-transcendency” and high “openness to change” values are likely to call for cleaner pork production systems. On the contrary, consumers with more pronounced “self-enhancement”, “conservation” and “hedonism” values are more likely to pay little attention to sustainability in the swine sector. Results allow to assess the social acceptance of the implementation of cleaner production processes in livestock production.

This study analyses the intra-EU trade of the world׳s chief wine exporters, namely Italy, France and Spain. Using an augmented version of the gravity model we empirically assess which of the three countries have experienced growth in intra-EU market trade. Effects of transportation costs, as well as demand and supply gaps between origin and destination countries, on the size of bilateral trade flows were specifically taken into account. Estimation results highlight the differences between bulk and bottled wine, providing useful information for European producers and policy-makers involved on regulation of wine sector. As concern bulk wine, Italy and Spain show no element of growth in competitiveness, while France shows a statistically significant annual decrease. In contrast, estimates for bottled wine all show a growth tendency, albeit with a different magnitude of coefficients. Italy is the country with the highest trend, followed by Spain and France which instead has a decidedly modest growth in export values. However, analysis of pricing policies shows that France does not appear to target an increase in export volumes so much as an increase in average unit price, while Italy, and especially Spain, have a tendency to increase export volumes, also to the detriment of prices.