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Abstract Background This systematic review contributes to the understanding of the characteristics of built food environments that may be associated with choices of alternative protein foods (APF). Using the built food environment typology proposed by Downs et al., we investigated various environmental structures (e.g., supermarkets, other retailers, farmers’ markets, restaurants, schools, and online vendors) and the characteristics that may facilitate or hinder consumers’ choices. For example, facilitators and barriers may refer to the physical characteristics of environmental structures, food presentation practices, the organizational strategies or policies operating in the setting, or the actions that retailers or consumers engage in while selling, serving, choosing, trying, or purchasing APF in these environmental structures. Methods A systematic review (PROSPERO database preregistration; no. CRD42023388700) was conducted by searching 13 databases for peer-reviewed journals focusing on the fields of economics and business, agriculture, medical sciences, and social sciences. Data searches, coding, and quality evaluations were conducted by at least 2 researchers. A total of 31 papers (36 original studies) were included. The risk of bias was evaluated with the Joanna Briggs Institute quality evaluation tool, with 24 publications presenting low risk of bias. Results The findings indicate that perceived and actual availability facilitate consumers’ APF choices across a built food environment. Several barriers/facilitators were associated with APF choices in specific types of built food environments: the way food is presented in produce sections (supermarkets), consumer habits in terms of green and specialty shopping (grocery stores), and mismatches among retailer actions in regard to making APF available in one type of food environment structure (e-commerce) and consumers’ preferences for APF being available in other food environment structures (supermarkets, grocery stores). The effect of a barrier/facilitator may depend on the APF type; for example, social norms regarding masculinity were a barrier affecting plant-based APF choices in restaurants, but these norms were not a barrier affecting the choice of insect-based APF in restaurants. Conclusions Addressing barriers/facilitators identified in this review will help in developing environment-matching interventions that aim to make alternative proteins mainstream. Trial registration PROSPERO database registration: #CRD42023388700.

The current global food system is characterized by anonymity in the value chain, global food trade, loss of knowledge about food sources, and a distant producer-consumer relationship. In addition, the negative environmental impacts of the agricultural sector, such as pollution, degradation of soil and water quality, loss of biodiversity, and significant greenhouse gas emissions, make this sector a major driver of climate change. In contrast, the city region food system (CRFS) approach captures the complexity of a food system and its actors at the local level. It aims to meet the requirements of sustainable transformation along the food value chain and offers an alternative approach to the challenges of the global food system. However, the actors and their relationships in CRFS are rarely analyzed. To fill this gap, this study focuses on analyzing CRFSs as networks using the Net-Map tool to study different CRFS in seven European cities (Bologna, Naples, Lansingerland, Tenerife, Oslo, Dortmund, and Romainville). The aim of this paper is to concentrate on the method and to show how the Net-Map tool can effectively support the evaluation of the CRFS by identifying different actor roles, recognizing patterns of relationships. Additionally, the strengths and weaknesses of the network can be assessed by a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. The paper highlights the limitations, advantages, and practical use of the Net-Map tool and discusses potential transferability to other case studies.

Fairness and ethical values in agro-food chain lay at the center of the current debate on agro-food chain sustainability. The food labels may contain elements focused on agro-food chain management fairness practices. The objective of the present study is to explore what types of fairness agro-food companies value in the food products they commercialize, and if the characteristics of agro-food companies have a relationship with the type of fairness valued. The research study collected 226 commercialized food products containing information on the agro-food chain fairness practices companies adopted to produce the food products. Data elaboration included a cluster analysis to identify groups of fair products, and a multinomial logistic regression to explore the relationship between the identified clusters and fairness types, organic, nutritional and functional claims, and price. Results support that fairness-oriented products provide information on different types of fairness that is distributive, procedural, and interactional. Some products provide economic information on the distribution of price between upstream and downstream actors. Other products focus on procedural and interactional fairness practices, such as dignity, respect and transparent relationship in agro-food chain; technologies used in the production and distribution of the product; and ethical certifications that companies hold. Fairness-oriented information differ depending both on the type of chain actor commercializing the product, and on the type of brand, that is whether commercial brand or private label. The main conclusion is that companies convey fairness-related information to consumers differently according to company’s role in the agro-food chain. Yet, there is need to exploit further the potential role of fairness practices in defining effective business strategies to contribute to higher equity and sustainability in the agro-food system.

IntroductionDefining ‘fairness’ in the agro-food sector is a challenging task. There is no single definition of fairness and the literature does not provide a complete conceptualization from the consumer's point of view. The current research seeks to explore the consumers' interest in fairness and ethics in the agro-food chain by exploring (i) a comprehensive theoretical framework to conceptualize fairness from a consumer perspective, and (ii) the consumers' perceived importance of different food attributes as fairness-related aspects.MethodLiterature review and focus groups allowed for the creation of the final survey to be submitted to consumers. 529 valid responses from a predominantly Italian female sample were collected. Data were elaborated with Exploratory Factor Analysis and ANOVA test.ResultsThe research identified five dimensions of fairness: Fair price, environment, networking, short chain, and working condition. Also, it emerged that age influences consumers' perceived importance of products with fair attributes.DiscussionThis research contributes to the development of a fairer and more sustainable food system by identifying perceptions of agro-food chain fairness and establishing a link with food shopping intentions. The research provides companies with suggestions on how to expand sales by reaching a greater number of consumers.

IntroductionCoffee is among the most appreciated beverages by consumers globally. Single serve coffee market expands and is highly profitable, but coffee in capsules (CIC) raises a major issue of environmental sustainability. The coffee industry aims to expand the CIC sales and to reduce capsule environmental impact and waste. To better define a sustainability-oriented strategy, the coffee industry needs to understand how to approach different socio-economic consumer groups. Thus, this study aims to explore consumers' perception and awareness of sustainable CIC, with specific attention on consumers' socio-economic characteristics.MethodsThe study interviewed a sample of 261 Italian consumers. Data elaboration includes four main steps: a cluster analysis leading to three socio-economic groups, a factor and structural equation modeling to confirm the factors and the relation between CIC sustainability and quality factors, and a multinomial logistic regression to examine the factors that drive the likeliness of consumers' willingness to purchase sustainable CIC.ResultsResults support that all groups of consumers value sustainability attribute as main CIC purchasing decision driver. The sustainability factor does not show any significance on the explanation of the CIC quality factor. Consumer perception of the CIC sustainability is not affected by age, income, level of education, and gender.ConclusionThis study provides preliminary insights for sustainable CIC production and consumption.

World potato consumption has fallen. Similarly, Italian consumers are buying fewer potatoes, despite the high number of certified quality and innovative potatoes being produced. Moreover, Italian consumers’ knowledge of potato characteristics and innovations tends to be limited. To increase consumer engagement and revitalize the market, strategic marketing efforts need to be implemented by addressing the different characteristics of consumers in the different purchase channels. The aim of this study is to explore and differentiate consumer purchasing behavior and attitudes towards potatoes in supermarkets and neighborhood channels. The study collected 855 responses through an online survey. Data processing included the creation of indices of consumers’ knowledge of potato nutrition and their propensity to innovate, as well as logistic regression to analyze the determinants of potato-purchasing behavior. The results show that consumers with increased potato consumption, a higher level of education, and employment prefer to buy potatoes in the supermarket. A preference for potato innovation also increases the likelihood that consumers will buy potatoes in supermarkets. Conversely, consumers with elderly relatives at home and a low level of education, but a high level of knowledge about the nutritional properties of potatoes, prefer to shop through neighborhood channels.

For farmers–growers, the routes to market can be complex as their produce moves through the food value chain to the final consumer [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the fragility of food sovereignty in cities and confirmed the close connection urban dwellers have with food. Although the pandemic was not responsible for a systemic failure, it suggested how citizens would accept and indeed support a transition toward more localized food production systems. As this attitudinal shift is aligned with the sustainability literature, this work aims to explore the tools and actions needed for a policy framework transformation that recognizes the multiple benefits of food systems, while considering local needs and circumstances. This perspective paper reviews the trends in production and consumption, and systematizes several impacts emerged across European food systems in response to the first wave of pandemic emergency, with the final aim of identifying challenges and future strategies for research and innovation toward the creation of resilient and sustainable city/region food systems. The proposal does not support a return to traditional small-scale economies that might not cope with the growing global population. It instead stands to reconstruct and upscale such connections using a “think globally act locally” mind-set, engaging local communities, and making existing and future citizen-led food system initiatives more sustainable. The work outlines a set of recommended actions for policy-makers: support innovative and localized food production, training and use of information and communication technology for food production and distribution; promote cross-pollination among city/region food systems; empower schools as agents of change in food provision and education about food systems; and support the development of assessment methodologies and the application of policy tools to ensure that the different sustainability dimensions of the food chain are considered.

System dynamics and agent-based simulation modelling approaches have a potential as tools to evaluate the impact of policy related decision making in food value chains. The context is that a food value chain involves flows of multiple products, financial flows and decision making among the food value chain players. Each decision may be viewed from the level of independent actors, each with their own motivations and agenda, but responding to externalities and to the behaviours of other actors. The focus is to show how simulation modelling can be applied to problems such as fairness and power asymmetries in European food value chains by evaluating the outcome of interventions in terms of relevant operational indicators of interorganisational fairness (e.g., profit distribution, market power, bargaining power). The main concepts of system dynamics and agent-based modelling are introduced and the applicability of a hybrid of these methods to food value chains is justified. This approach is outlined as a research agenda, and it is demonstrated how cognitive maps can help in the initial conceptual model building when implemented for specific food value chains studied in the EU Horizon 2020 VALUMICS project. The French wheat to bread chain has many characteristics of food value chains in general and is applied as an example to formulate a model that can be extended to capture the functioning of European FVCs. This work is to be further progressed in a subsequent stream of research for the other food value chain case studies with different governance modes and market organisation, in particular, farmed salmon to fillet, dairy cows to milk and raw tomato to processed tomato.

This paper presents data on the influence of the use of a nutrition-information app (Edo) on healthy eating. The methodology adopted included a baseline (t0) and a follow-up online questionnaire (t1). The first survey was sent to 7000 consumers who had already downloaded the app. This survey collected data on users’ perceived healthiness of their own diet, food purchasing habits, sociodemographic information, concern for appearance, perception of the Health Belief Model constructs, and objective and perceived healthy food knowledge. The follow-up survey (t1) was sent to the respondents who had used the app for 12 weeks. It collected data on app satisfaction, recommended additional app features, consumers’ perception on the Health Belief Model constructs, and consumers’ objective and perceived healthy food knowledge. Data elaboration included two factor analyses elaboration, one for t0 data and one for t1 data. The aim was the identification of constructs as latent factors of the data. The value of each construct was calculated and compared between t0 and t1. The data presented in this article can help the replication of studies about similar apps and enhance the cooperation among app developers, consumer behaviour scientists, nutritionists and marketing experts for apps development. For conclusion and interpretation of data, the original article can be consulted (DOI:10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108766).

This study evaluated productivity dynamics and identified sources of productivity growth in Italian tomato production and processing. We used a stochastic frontier input distance function with four error components—heterogeneity, statistical noise, persistent and transient inefficiency—and a four-step estimation procedure with a system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator in the first step to address the endogeneity problem. The results reveal significant differences in the productivity and efficiency of tomato production and processing. Moreover, there are considerable differences among the different sizes of tomato producers, with the main variations observed for scale efficiency. While tomato processors operate at an optimal production size, tomato producers are characterized by considerable economies of scale, especially small producers. These results thus suggest that there is significant opportunity for technical efficiency improvements at both stages of the value chain. Finally, due to improvements made to scale efficiency, extensive productivity growth was observed for the group of small tomato producers.

Food consumers are increasingly searching for emotions and values when purchasing and consuming food. They search for products that ensure social and environmental sustainability, in addition to more common extrinsic product attributes, such as price, packaging, origin, and brand. In particular, there is increasing interest towards product price fairness. The current study aims at exploring consumers’ perception and understanding of price fairness, focusing on the processed tomato products agro-food chain. The study interviewed 832 people. Data were collected through an online questionnaire with the support of Qualtrics software, and data elaboration was carried out with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The elaboration includes an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to identify existing latent factors in the consumers’ perception of enabling agro-food system elements influencing farmers’ reception of fair prices. Then, factor mean values were cross-analysed with socio-economic characteristics and processed tomato consumption habits with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results support the idea that consumers are limitedly aware of the processed tomato agro-food chain dynamics and consider farmers as the most unfairly remunerated partner. Women and frequently purchasing consumers of processed tomato products believe farmers should be treated more fairly. There is a difference between what consumers perceive as fair price distribution and actual price distribution among processed tomato chain actors. Further studies may focus on how fairness attribute impacts on consumer purchasing behaviour.

The use of digital technologies in the agro-food sector is growing worldwide, and applications in the urban and regional food systems represent a relevant segment of such growth. The present paper aims at reviewing the literature on which and how digital technologies support urban and regional agro-food purchasing and consumption, as well as their characteristics. Data collection was performed on Scopus and Web of Science. Articles were selected using a research string and according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow approach was adopted to explain data screening and selection. The 57 resulting studies were included in the final qualitative analysis, which explored the characteristics of the research studies and of the digital technologies analysed. Most of the studies analysed concerned the implications of digital technologies on local food consumption, especially focusing on consumption, primary production and hotel-restaurant-café-catering sector (HORECA), and to a limited extent on the retail sector. Consumers and farmers are the main targets of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools, whose principal aims are providing information on agro-food products and enhancing networking along the food supply chain. Analysing digital technologies allows a better understanding of their most popular features in order to support their spread among citizens. Digital technologies, and particularly Apps, can be a valuable instrument to strengthen agro-food chain actor relations and to promote urban and regional food systems.

Caffeine is the most-used psychoactive substance in the world. About 80% of the world’s population consumes caffeine every day, including athletes and lifestyle users. Thus, it is important to understand the consumer drivers of caffeine-containing beverages and food. This research study aims to explore consumers’ behaviors, perceptions, attitudes, and drivers towards caffeine-containing products to enhance sports performance. The research applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in order to understand consumers’ behavior, extended with utilitarian aspects for a comprehensive understanding of consumers’ behavior and attitudes. We interviewed consumers with the support of Qualtrics online software. The data were then processed with SPSS (statistical analysis software). The data elaboration includes a multivariate linear regression model to analyze the consumers’ intention to consume caffeine to enhance the sports performance, and to explore consumers’ preference of marketing leverages for this product category. The results contribute to an understanding of consumers’ consumption and purchasing behavior towards caffeine, and support the validity of the extended TPB to develop a more comprehensive picture of consumer behavior. Consumers have a positive attitude towards caffeine-containing products to enhance sports performance. The main consumer behavior drivers are subjective norms and utilitarian aspects. The present research results may support companies in the development of caffeine-containing products to enhance sports performance.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Brazilian biofuel chain, according to the Porter’s competitive advantage approach. The Brazilian biofuel policy is worldwide known not only by stimulating its production, but also by granting tax incentives. The current paper highlights how the biofuel policy was developed in Brazilsince the adoption of Proálcool, how this chain works, and how the government coordinates the different production stages. Despite Brazil had gone by different phases, from the full adoption and support by the federal government to the low public incentives, most of the mills kept the productive structure of Proálcool. The results of this study show that the government participation is crucial for the success of the biofuel program. In addition, unlike other nations,Brazilstill has the possibility to increase his production – either through harvest area or through productivity – without environmental damage. Thus,Brazilcould increase its exportation, with relative competitive advantage. Finally, the study results show that, in a medium-term, the biofuel exportation growth cannot affect fuel prices in domestic market, which is another competitive advantage in international market.

Coffee is popular worldwide and consumption is increasing, particularly in non-traditional markets. There is evidence that coffee consumption may have beneficial health effects. Consumers’ beliefs in the health benefits of coffee are unclear. The study aimed at analyzing consumers’ perceptions of coffee health benefits, consumption and purchasing motives of coffee consumers with positive perceptions of coffee health benefits, and willingness to pay for coffee with associated health claims. Data were collected through a face-to-face survey with consumers, resulting in a convenience sample of 250 questionnaires valid for data elaboration. Results were elaborated with factor analysis and logistic regression analysis. Findings revealed that a relevant minority of consumers believed that coffee could have positive health effects. The consumer with a positive perception of coffee health benefits is mostly male, young, works, is familiar with non-espresso-based coffee, consumes a limited amount of coffee (generally not for breakfast and often in social settings), and buys coffee at retail outlets. Consumers drink coffee for its energetic and therapeutic effects. Coffee consumption is still price-driven, but consumers are interested in purchasing coffee with associated health claims. There is the opportunity to improve the perception of coffee health benefits in consumers’ minds.

The paper presents some preliminary results of a project devoted to the analysis of adult and elderly mortality evolution in a Northern Italian region, Emilia Romagna, during the health transition. Starting from the construction of 14 period life tables (1871-2007) according to a standardised procedure, the paper develops three main topics: a descriptive analysis of the long-term evolution of elderly survival from the beginning of demographic transition to the present day; an in-depth study of those ages that have made the greatest contribution to the increase in survival during the various different transitional stages; an investigation of the evolution of longevity.

The pattern of longevity in the Italian north-eastern region of Emilia Romagna was investigated at the municipality level, considering a modified version of the centenarian rate (CR) in two different periods (1995-1999 and 2005-2009). Due to the rareness of such events in small areas, spatio-temporal modelling was used to tackle the random variations in the occurrence of long-lived individuals. This approach allowed us to exploit the spatial proximity to smooth the observed data, as well as controlling for the effects of a set of covariates. As a result, clusters of areas characterised by extreme indexes of longevity could be identified and the temporal evolution of the phenomenon depicted. A persistence of areas of lower and higher occurrences of long-lived subjects was observed across time. In particular, mean and median values higher than the regional ones, showed up in areas belonging to the provinces of Ravenna and Forli-Cesena, on one side spreading out along the Adriatic coast and, on the other stretching into the Apennine municipalities of Bologna and Modena. Further, a longitudinal perspective was added by carrying out a spatial analysis including the territorial patterns of past mortality. We evaluated the effects of the structure of mortality on the cohort of long-lived subjects in the second period. The major causes of death were considered in order to deepen the analysis of the observed geographical differences. The circulatory diseases seem to mostly affect the presence of long-lived individuals and a prominent effect of altitude and population density also emerges.

The aim of the paper is to analyse value sharing and food system dynamics of milk, tomato, and cereals food chains, so to explore the agro-food enterprises capacity to be competitive and sustainable. The paper is based on the functionalist approach of Malassis and the notion of the system of the General Systems Theory. The methodology is aimed at creating a consolidated financial statement for each food chain so to re-create the chain value and identify how this is shared among the different food chain stages. The analysis is carried out on primary and secondary data: around 2400 financial statements concerning 480 enterprises from 2003 to 2007 and stakeholders’ interviews. Results show that value is usually created in the processing and distribution stages, to the detriment of the primary sector, and that the retail managing practices tend to impose damaging structural changes on farms whose profitability is at times becoming sustainable only thanks to European subsidies. To conclude, there is evidence of inadequate definition of strategic and network alliance along the chain. Competitiveness is still a concept achieved by single food chain stages against others and food chain internal competition entails a declining sustainability of small farms and enterprises.

This paper belongs to the studies regarding the determinants of the new family behaviours. Particularly, we have turned our attention to the analysis of the factors that induce men and women to choose marriage or cohabitation in Italy and Spain. These are two countries of the Mediterranean Europe where family behaviours are very different from those characterizing Western Europe. The analysis highlighted the important role of both individuals' ideational system and sociodemographic condition on the kind of partnership chosen.

Background: The paper explores the mechanisms of the European fertility transition in northern Italy by social group. Objective: Our objective is to understand when and in which sectors of a rural society the reduction of family size began. We focus on Emilia-Romagna, a region that in the 1990s had the lowest fertility level in Italy. The core purpose of this paper is the analysis of socioeconomic status (SES) fertility differentials, especially between rural sharecroppers and landless rural workers, as well as other non-agricultural groups. Methods: Our analysis focuses on the reproductive histories of marriage cohorts in the years 1900‒1940. We perform a micro-level statistical analysis of legitimate births of parity 1+. Results: In this period fertility decline has just begun, and shows a strong decline in the post-WWI marriage cohorts. Although nonagricultural groups lead the downward trend in family size, the role of socioeconomic status means that the path of sharecropper households is atypical. Conclusions: The fertility transition proceeds by means of spacing and stopping, testifying to a new attitude towards birth control, which agricultural and nonagricultural social groups adopted in different ways. Usually, the decline in fertility progresses from nonagricultural to rural classes. In the rural world the path is inverted, going from the lower to the upper groups. Contribution: The paper contributes to the debate on the links between socioeconomic status and fertility transition in Italy. It shows that the link between household economy and control of fertility is specific to SES groups, which can follow atypical paths, compared to the known reference model. The use of microdemographic data provides evidence for the hypothesis that the fertility transition can be shaped by the specific social and economic characteristics of population subgroups.

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