An inquiry on north-eastern Italian farmers' perception of climate change and related risks to agriculture

Even though agricultural activities have always had to face systemic risk, increasing uncertainty linked to market conditions, policy revision and climate change require the adoption of extensive, functional and informed risk management strategies. Our study aims to investigate north-eastern Italian farmers' perception of climate change-related risks and attitudes towards adaptation strategies, in order to promote the adoption of effective communication strategies and the development of more attractive insurance schemes to widen famers' interests. Cross-sectional survey data were analysed using structural equation modelling to explore concerns over the impact of climate change on agricultural activities and identify the factors that promote the adoption of coping strategies. According to the results, the actual experience of negative consequences linked to specific extreme meteorological events is the main driver for the adoption of mitigation strategies. Further efforts on awareness of climate change and its consequences, coupled with the provision of simpler and more tailored insurance schemes, are required to support a widespread diffusion of adaptation strategies among farmers

Food solidarity economy: evaluating transition community initiatives in Friuli Venezia Giulia region

Climate change, ecological challenges, and economic and social crises imply paradigmatic and structural innovations. In the effort to drive transition toward sustainability, local communities often take the lead, mobilize support, and organize initiatives based on the principles of solidarity economy. Our study presents a qualitative evaluation and comparison of three local bottom-up initiatives from Friuli Venezia Giulia, a Northern Italian region, each following alternative and unique models of production and consumption of wheat and flour. The reconstruction of the transition paths of the experiences, together with documental analysis and interviews, allowed us to deduce the influence of alternative approaches and subsequent degree of effectiveness in building a community and driving it toward sustainability

Consumers’ acceptance of genome edited food and the role of information

The application of biotechnology and genetics to plant science and agronomy is at the basis of the new breeding techniques, including Genome Editing (GE). A choice experiment was undertaken to investigate Italian consumers’ preferences for bread made with gene-edited wheat. Respondents were randomly assigned one of the two versions of a questionnaire, including either a neutral or negatively biased definition of GE. Results demonstrate that the information effect is limited, which confirms that consumers are struggling to understand new breeding techniques. The scientific community should therefore develop better communication strategies for society to comprehensively understand biotechnologies and support policymakers in the definition of informed regulations

Consumer attitudes towards the mountain product label: Implications for mountain development

To protect and promote the originality and authenticity of mountain foodstuffs, the European Union set Regulation No 1151/2012 to create the optional quality term “mountain product”. Our research aimed at exploring the attractiveness of the mountain product label for consumers, considering both attitude towards the label itself and purchase intentions. We propose a model to investigate relationships between four latent constructs — mountain attractiveness, mountain food attractiveness, attitude towards the mountain product label, and purchase intention — which have been tested, thus confirming the statistical relevance of the relationships. All 47 items selected for describing the latent constructs are suitable for this purpose. Ridge and LASSO results also show that 17 items of the first three constructs are relevant in explaining purchase intentions. Some contextual variables, such as age, income, geographical origin of consumers, and knowledge of mountain products and mountains for tourism purposes, can positively influence consumers’ behavior. These findings could support the design of mountain development strategies, in particular marketing actions for both the product and the territory

Consumer satisfaction in Alternative Food Networks (AFNs): Evidence from Northern Italy

The emergence of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) has drawn the attention of researchers from various fields, who try to understand and explain these new phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to explore how personal attitude and product quality perception influence relative satisfaction over participation in AFNs, therefore contributing to the literature on socially conscious consumerism. Structural Equation Modeling is used to investigate the determinants of consumers\u2019 attitudes towards AFNs, its influence on perceived quality of food products, and their relative influence over satisfaction with participation in AFNs. A survey was conducted among 210 AFN participants. The results from this study suggest that consumers\u2019 attitude towards AFNs directly influences the perceived quality of food products; moreover, the analysis confirms the relationship between these two elements and overall satisfaction with participation in AFNs. Finally, the research provides suggestions on how to improve consumers\u2019 involvement and mainstream AFNs

Rasch analysis of consumer attitudes towards the mountain product label

In 2012 the European Union adopted the Regulation No. 1151/2012, which, among others, defines the legal framework to protect the originality and authenticity of mountain foods through the “Mountain Product” quality scheme. The research aims to analyze people’s attitudes towards mountain foods and the EU Mountain Product label, as well as their area of origin, i.e., the mountains. For the purpose of this research, the Rasch model was used since its properties make it suitable to identify the measure of interest. The results allow us to identify potential leverage to plan promotional activities in order to enhance the value of mountain food, raise awareness on the EU label, thus improving the sustainability of mountain farms and regions

Urban food security and strategic planning: Involving millennials in urban agriculture

Global population growth and urbanization trends put increasing pressure on food systems. While food demand grows, workforce moves from rural and agricultural areas to cities; hence, local and global food production policies and strategies urge to be redefined. Besides the contribution to biodiversity protection and ecosystem services provision, urban gardening and farming are increasingly considered by policy makers and planners as viable strategies to achieve higher urban food security. This paper proposes a model to study Millennials\u2019 attitude towards urban agriculture, and support the design of involvement strategies. The results show that subjective norms and peer pressure heavily influence the intention to take part in urban gardening and food production. In conclusion, we discuss the integration of the results in the design of better and more informed urban food policies