Assessing Italians' Preferences for Mountain Beef Production Using a Best-Worst Scaling Approach

The European Union (EU) regulation on mountain food products represents a great opportunity for beef producers in mountain areas, particularly as the quality-certified food has received more attention from European consumers in recent years. However, for a food-quality system-such as the European Commission's mountain labeling scheme-to be effective, the regulation standards must meet consumer expectations. In Italy, there are few studies on consumer preferences regarding beef and none focused on meat produced in mountain areas. To help fill this gap, this study assessed the preferences of Italian citizens for attributes associated with beef produced in mountain areas and contrasted the results with the EU regulation on mountain food products. Furthermore, factors that explain the heterogeneity of Italians' preferences regarding beef production attributes were analyzed. Data were collected online using a consumer panel, and a best-worst scaling method and latent class analysis were used. The results indicate that Italians expect mountain beef to be healthier and produced according to higher animal welfare standards. Such preferences reveal the existence of a gap between what Italians expect and the quality standards of the EU regulation on mountain food products, a situation that may jeopardize the objectives of the European Commission's mountain labeling scheme

Conclusions

The preceding contributions have revealed different \u201crealities of farm and rural tourism\u201d as well as multiple possibilities of its interweaving with other forms of tourism such as culinary tourism as well as other aspects of experiencing \u201cnature\u201d and \u201cagrarian life\u201d such as on educational farms. This final chapter explores the extent to which these themes can be placed in a contextual landscape to enhance further empirical research. The conceptual framework that we are going to introduce focuses on individuals\u2019 consumption patterns and shows how these shape the nature of farm tourism. At first glance the relationship between farmers and tourists, which is the core of farm tourism, appears to be based largely on contrasts. For instance, Getz, Carlsen and Morrison (2004) stress that farming is \u201csupply-driven\u201d, whereas tourism is \u201cmarket-led\u201d. Furthermore, farmers travel the least, rural tourists on the contrary travel very frequently. Henceforth, market and consumer orientation is a difficult goal to reach. According to many scholars (Hill and Busby, 2002; Roberts and Hall, 2004), in order to understand this relationship, research should concentrate on the sense of Adams (2008) observes, \u201cthe more humans become removed from nature, the more they try to reconnect to it\u201d. This \u201creconnection\u201d process passes through individuals\u2019 interpretation of nature which is, first of all, a dynamic process. Knudsen and Greer (2008) point out that, before the romantic movement of the second half of the 18th century, mainstream Western aesthetics was shaped by the classical concept of beauty. As a consequence, nature was considered \u201ctoo imperfect\u201d because it was \u201clacking in symmetry\u201d (Kwa, 2005). Common tourist destinations of the 21st century, such as the seaside and wooded areas, were considered wild and somewhat frightening, and it is only since industrialization that they have become interesting (Romei f-Stracke, 1998). Furthermore, people\u2019s perception is influenced by the image of nature common in their country. Thus, for example, Germans are much fonder of rambling than Italians (ibid.). A number of scholars have tried to identify common interpretations of nature (see Figure 1). The mystique associated with rural areas is a recurrent topic in the literature (Hjalager, 1996; Wilson et al., 2001). Thus, nature is filtered through a feeling of nostalgia, which, according to Romei f-Stracke (1998), is an indefinable quest for a real or imaginary place where a person feels protected. Thus, according to the literature, consuming the countryside (Roberts and Hall, 2004) should be seen as a response to the individual\u2019s need to \u201cimmerse oneself in the emotion of nostalgia\u201d (Hjalager, 1996). Farm tourism associations and other, related businesses are conscious that this type of tourism is attractive because it provides \u201cwhat urban life cannot give\u201d (Nilsson, 2002). As a consequence, farm tourism should fulfill a hedonistic function; after all, even on a farm holiday, tourists expect not only basic requirements but also memorable experiences (Hill and Busby, 2002). However, Hjalager (1996) stresses that the \u201cmodern agricultural community is not immediately capable of providing the facilities enabling tourists to experience or re-experience even the very near past [of agrarian life].\u201d Hence, farm tourism associations, as well as tour operators and farmers, have the essential task of clustering a variety of products and activities in order to \u201creinvent tradition\u201d (ibid.) and, in this way, engrave the farming environment on the consciousness of farm guests. The latter is particularly important because, nowadays, it is not the holiday product per se but human recollections that guests are willing to pay for. The quality labels \u201cErlebnis Bauernhof\u201d (\u201cAdventure Farm\u201d) in Germany and \u201cagriturismo ospitalit\ue0\u201d (\u201cHospitality Farm\u201d) in Italy are indicative of this attempt to court the favor and fulfill the emotional needs of farm guests (Hill and Busby, 2002). If, on the one hand, many people have a romantic vision of nature and want to be part of it, on the other hand, others share a more mechanistic approach and want to \u201cutilize\u201d nature for reasons such as its positive repercussions for physical and psychological well being. This is the case for many tourists who choose rural areas for practicing outdoor sports and other health-related activities. This perception of nature as the \u201cfitness center of the human being\u201d (Romei f-Stracke, 1998) has been sensed by the farm holiday sector, where the idea of \u201cadding healing arts (bodywork, day spas etc.) to the farm\u2019s agritourism package has been emerging\u201d (Adams, 2008). In practice, farms with this specialization could host health-related activities, such as yoga lessons, training in the creation of home spa and cosmetic recipes and sportthemed workshops led by members of local sporting associations. Furthermore, in such cases the farm setting plays a supporting role, as the guest is more interested in relaxing than in the agrarian features of the farming environment. Similar considerations apply to individuals who \u201cutilize\u201d nature for practicing \u201cextreme sports\u201d. In this case, people choose farm accommodation for its location and because it fits with their consumption patterns, but the farm itself is less relevant than the activity and sometimes almost irrelevant (cf. Roberts and Hall, 2004). In this context, whether alone or in collaboration with external businesses, farmers make their natural surroundings available to adventure seekers by providing a variety of services, such as camping facilities and short-term accommodation during extreme sports tours. Finally, nature can be perceived as a \u201cmission\u201d as in the case of individuals characterized by high environmental awareness. This, according to Romei f-Stracke (1998), originated in the ecological movement of the 1970s and 1980s. Given the high priority such guests place on nature issues, they hope to have a close relationship with the farmer. These individuals are aware of the farm. Moreover, they are interested in being connected with agrarian life through an educational approach and not through a quest for peak experiences. On the practical level, whereas the pleasure-seeker (Schulze, 1992) can be interested in experiencing outdoor fires or participating in workshops, such as picnic preparation or gift-making on the farm (cf. Adams, 2008), the education-seeking farm guest looks for other types of activities, such as the opportunity to work on the farm, to learn organic farming techniques (adults) or to take care of the animals (children). The different interpretations of nature correspond to different needs of individuals; accordingly, farmers should try to fulfill these needs by placing their facility in a position to meet these objectives. The food component is a signifier of the agrarian culture and, at the same time, a "joyful experience" for body and soul which forms a bridge between educational (knowledge of food sources) and hedonistic (sensory experience) functions. The preceding contributions have shown manifold ways in which farmers can build up this bridge both alone or together with special interest actors such as the Slow Food movement, etc. Italian farmers, for instance, were pioneers in providing their guests with high-value oeno-gastronomical specialties which reflect deeply-rooted traditions in the rural area. In the same way, German farm operators whose farms are located in highly valuable wine regions (e.g., SaaleUnstrut) have started orienting their farms towards the regional landscape. Furthermore, the increasing success of educational farms indicates a strong desire within society to explore farm life, to improve its awareness of environmental matters (such as knowledge of food processing traditions) and to be \u201ceducated\u201d by farmers. In conclusion the contributions of this book have advanced knowledge about the complex interfacing between agrarian life and culture, the rural and farm tourism sector as well as culinarity issues. By reviewing both the theory and practice this book has contributed to the development of a better approach to this interdisciplinary field

Images of agri-tourism: evidence from Germany

Based on a classical approach, this paper analyses the cognitive and affective properties of attitude and develops a structural equation model to explain the determinants of preference for farm tourism. The findings of this study reveal that attitude and large-sized families have a positive influence on choice. Furthermore, it appears that the traditional image of German farm tourism has been replaced by a more dynamic one. However, this tourist form still has to cope with stereotypes as well as perceived deficit of quality standards

Der Einfluss von Online-Bewertungen auf die Wahl von Ferienunterk\ufcnften

Im Zuge des Fortschritts von Informationstechnologien benutzen immer mehr Reisende das Internet, um Ausk\ufcnfte \ufcber Reiseziele zu gewinnen (Litvin et al. 2008). Jede von Verbrau-chern im Netz ge\ue4u ferte Meinung gilt als elektronische Mundpropaganda (e-Word of Mouth, e-WOM). Viele Autoren sind sich dar\ufcber einig, dass e-WOM \u201eden Konsumenten mehr Ent-scheidungsbefugnisse gew\ue4hrt\u201c (Niininen et al. 2007), da sie so an \u201egenauere und aktuellere Produktinformationen\u201c gelangen k\uf6nnen (Kucuk & Krishnamurthy 2007). E-WOM ist infol-gedessen dem Bereich der hochwertigen Informationsquellen zuzuordnen. Jedoch hat die Untersuchung des Einflusses von e-WOM auf das Konsumentenverhalten ge-rade erst begonnen. Ein wichtiger Beitrag ist dabei die Studie von Hennig-Thurau (2005), welcher darauf hinweist, dass die Verhaltenssachlichkeit von Verbraucher\ue4u ferungen sehr von den Motiven der Leser abh\ue4ngt. Nikolaeva und Sriram erkl\ue4ren (2006), dass der Einfluss von e-WOM auf das Verhalten gem\ue4 f dem erworbenen Produkt und der Anzahl von vorhandenen Alternativen variiert. Die Auswirkung von e-WOM bezieht sich in der Darstellung von Litvin, Goldsmith und Pan (2008) auf die Schaffung von Destinationsvorstellungen, w\ue4hrend die Studie von Harris Interactive und Fleishman (2008) demonstriert, dass bez\ufcglich der Anschaf-fung von elektronischen Flugtickets andere Arten von Online-Informationsquellen (z.B. Suchmaschinen zum Preisvergleich) den gr\uf6 ften Einfluss aus\ufcben (www.harrisinteractive.de). Diese Studie konzentriert sich auf e-Bewertungen oder e-reviews (eine Untermenge der e-WOM), welche produktbezogene Meinungs\ue4u ferungen von Online-Konsumenten sind. Viele Autoren schreiben e-Bewertungen einen hohen Informationsgehalt zu. Ein Kernpunkt, der jedoch in der Forschungsliteratur bisher weniger beachtet wurde, ist die Frage, ob e-reviews eine vorherrschende oder eine erg\ue4nzende Rolle beim Konsumentenverhalten im Vergleich zu anderen Informationsquellen spielen. Dementsprechend ist das erste Ziel unserer Analyse, innerhalb eines experimentellen Musters herauszufinden, ob e-reviews \uf6fter als Qualit\ue4tskrite-rium zur Wahl eines Hotels herangezogen werden als andere Informationsquellen, wie bei-spielsweise Hotelbewertungssysteme, Bewertungen in Reisef\ufchrern und Reiseb\ufcroempfehlun-gen. Dar\ufcber hinaus ist unser zweites Ziel, die Struktur von e-reviews zu analysieren. Hierbei liegt der Schwerpunkt darauf zu verstehen, was e-Bewertungen zu einer vertrauensw\ufcrdigen Informationsquelle macht. Demzufolge werden die bestimmenden Faktoren des Vertrauens in e-Bewertungen sondiert. Das dritte Ziel unserer Analyse ist es, den Einfluss von e-reviews auf die Entscheidung bez\ufcglich der Buchung von Unterk\ufcnften zu erfassen

Group heterogeneity and cooperation in the governance of geographical indications. The case of Parmigiano Reggiano \u201cmountain product\u201d

This study contributes to the call of many scholars to investigate the relationship between group heterogeneity and cooperation patterns in GI consortia. In particular we focus on the solution of the problems of quality standardization derived by an increasing heterogeneity and free-riding behaviour among members. A framework adapted from Lee and Wall (2012) and Forster and Metcalfe (2012) is employed to identify the resources (inputs), conditions (facilitators) and innovation process (outputs) required for the formation of a new internal institution in the Consortium, as a tool for safeguarding \u201chigher quality\u201d within the common (outcome). This work uses a case-study approach and analyses the Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) Consortium in Italy. Specifically, we applied a ground-theory approach and conducted 24 semi-structured inter views to stakeholders at different levels (consortium, politicians, large-sized dairy farms, small-sized dairy farms, NGOs, members of PR route, PR museum) in the time frame May 2012-August 2013. The governance patterns highlighted in this study give evidence of a high internal dynamism within GI Consortia. Our study confirms how gove r- nance strategies to reduce free riding in GI schemes and to re-establish cooperation can be implemented even through the creation of formal endogenous or exogenous institutions. However, cooperation can stem among homogenous sub-groups as a resilience strategy showing how a formal institutionalization of sub-consortia within a well established GI common may be successful

The rendering of authenticity: an analysis of representations of the breakfast cheese of the Odenwald forest

The purpose of this work is to understand how producers of food specialties confer authenticity in different media, namely in brochures and advertisements of producers and connected actors (such as tourist offices, NGOs). To this end, we chose a German PDO cheese called \u201cOdenw\ue4lder Fr\ufchst\ufccksk\ue4se\u201d which is produced by only one German dairy, as a case study. The analysis of the promotional material shows that the PDO label is not considered an influential representation by producers since they tend to use other devices to confer authenticit

Tradizione e tecnologia online a confronto. Il passaparola elettronico: perch\ue8 l'imprenditore agrituristico dovrebbe tenerne conto

Il passaparola elettronico puo\u300 aiutare gli operatori agrituristici a relazionarsi in maniera piu\u300 efficace con il consumatore. Il presente lavoro analizza, attraverso un esperimento, il grado di fiducia che hanno gli utenti nei riguardi delle recensioni digitali e offre degli spunti di riflessione per la commercializzazione dell\u2019agriturismo in Internet

Successful integration of slow and sustainable tourism: A case study of food tourism in the alpine region of Algovia, Germany

Tourism is an important economic sector that has a complex relationship with the environment, society and culture. Many studies have investigated the relationship between sustainability \u2013 divided into the economic, environmental and sociocultural pillars \u2013 and tourism. Although challenging (Cooper, 2012a; UNEP, 2014), the recent trend within the tourism industry has beenthe rise of new, particularly sustainable forms, such as the development of theslow tourism approach (Matos, 2004). This can be considered a reaction to the broader Western way of life, and it takes the form of tourism that operates at a more leisurely pace, respecting nature and human beings. Starting from a brief description of this approach in tourism, we will present a specific case based on food tourism in Germany. Specifically, it deals with Algovian Emmentaler tourism and is based on data derived from 12 in-depth interviewswith different participants (producers, policy-makers, etc.) from the AlgovianAlps. Results provide evidence on how food tourism can be considered a bestpractice within slow and sustainable tourism. The remainder of the paper isstructured as follows. We first discuss the three pillars of sustainability in tourism. Following that, we offer a brief description of slow and food tourism andwe present the results of the qualitative case study on Algovian Emmentaler. Finally, we draw some conclusions

The Impact of Online Reviews on the Choice of Holiday Accommodation

In order to reduce information asymmetries in the tourist industry, consumers refer to multiple information sources. Among these, e-reviews are supposed to better reflect quality of information because they are based on consumers\u2019 past experiences. The first purpose of this study is therefore to test within an experimental design whether e-reviews have a predominant or a complementary role on consumer behaviour in comparison with other sources of information (hotel rating system, travel guides and recommendations of travel agents). As expected, e-reviews are the most referential information source. We further use a causal model in order to detect the determinants of trust in e-reviews, and we can show that perceived expertness of e-reviews, credibility of the e-platform and brand familiarity explain more than 60% of trust in e-reviews. The final part of the analysis is dedicated to our third research purpose which is the measurement of the impact of trust in e-reviews on choice of accommodations. A significant and positive influence can be demonstrated. Hence, scientific and managerial implications are discussed

Farm Vacation Tourism between Tradition and Innovation

Farm tourism has evolved throughout the years. Nowadays, farm operators have to show a high degree of professionalization in order to be successful. Based on their perceptions, this study ex- amines the success factors of farm tourism in Germany. The re- sults clearly demonstrate that the key components rely primarily on advertising, followed by guests\u2019 activities, quality of the ac- commodation, attraction of the region and guests\u2019 perception of a consistent price-to-service relationship. Yet, a real marketing knowledge seems to be still lacking among operato