The economic regulation of quality in the Italian VQPRD sector: which perspectives?

The Appellation of Origin system is aimed at reducing consumer's information costs, assuring a minimum quality standard and wine typicity, as well as maintaining a diversified supply in order to satisfy consumer s tastes heterogeneity. The effectiveness of the system is menaced by quantity and quality uncertainty, free riding phenomena, vertical relationships complexity and hold- up risks. The long term risk of the drop of the collective reputation of the Appellation justifies the economic regulation of the supply by the sectorial Organizations. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate ther role in the construction of the competitive advantage of the quality wine system. Then, the question that we address in this paper is that of the effectiveness of the supply regulation of quantity and quality in the Italian system of Appellation of Origin. We analyze the current context of the Italian Appellation of Origin Chianti Classico and the mechanisms of the supply economic regulation. At first, we describe the structural and commercial characteristics of the Appellation, the vertical relationships among the agents, the trend of the most important economic indicators of the Appellation. Then, we provide an analysis of the current mechanisms of the economic regulation of supply, from the specific production requirement s to the role of the sectorial organisation in the Appellation quality strategy. Finally, we point out the problems and the possible evolutions of the Appellation of Origin's system, in the context of the Reform of the CMO of wine.Appellation of Origin, collective reputation, economic regulation of supply, sectorial organizations, Agribusiness,

Italian wine consumer behaviour and wineries responsive capacity

This paper analyzes habits and motivations behind wine consumption in Italy and focuses on the attributes affecting wine choice, through interviews and a choice experiment approach. We show that consumers are interested in a wide concept of quality, which covers the whole production process. Both the notoriety of the industrial brand and the designation of origin constitute important quality signals. However, the use of the designation of origin to assess quality at the moment of purchase requires a certain level of product knowledge and involvement. Supermarkets and stores play an increasing role in the commercialization of wine on the final market. Nevertheless, the appreciation of private label wines is relatively low. Finally, we provide some observations on how the Italian wineries are equipped toward market requirements, according to the typologies of vertical relationship between the vine growing and the grapevine processing stages, the quantity and quality strategies.wine consumer behaviour, choice experiment, wineries strategies, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

COMBINING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE APPROACHES TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS: THE CASE OF AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION IN LEBANON

While peripheral rural regions in Lebanon face typical problems of lagging development and economic marginalisation, they have not been regarded as a priority for policy-makers, and significant disparities between these and other regions have emerged as a result. Local extensionists have encouraged technological innovation as a means to improving farmers’ livelihoods, and this has led to increasing input use and an intensification of agricultural production. This paper applies contrasting quantitative and qualitative methodologies to analyse the effects of such changes at the level of the overall economy of Lebanon and also to explore the impacts on rural households. A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model explores several simulation scenarios in which agricultural output increases due to intensification in the use of intermediate inputs. The results are evaluated at local level through the use of qualitative case-study analysis carried out in the Hermel region of northeast Lebanon. Quantitative simulations indicate that, while intensification has a positive effect overall on the Lebanese economy, the effects on rural households and the income of farmers are negative; the case-study demonstrates that, at local level, agricultural trade liberalisation, increased agricultural output and greater volatility of commodity prices has resulted in farmers opting for lower input use and more secure market forms of production.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Small farms in Italy between decline and innovative formula: an entrepreneurial model analysis

During the three-year period of our investigation, we found that the weight of family run farms declined and there was an increase in the role of farms integrated in the market and in integrated low-impact farm. This is a partial change which may be an indicator of a greater capacity of the entrepreneurial fabric to come to the market and the ability to capitalise on the relationship between farm and territory. Comparison between the two periods observing the behaviour of common farmers confirmed the substantial stability of the reference framework and offered further scope for interpretation. First, only about 22% changed their strategic profile. Shifts between strategic profiles especially affected family-run farms and light weighted specialised farms (17%). In particular, there was a major shift from the family-run type to the small, specialised farm. By contrast, the shift from the area of specialisation to the family-run type was less marked, and mostly concerned farms situated in marginal areas with less labour employed on the farm. Another element to be taken into consideration is that the second strategic profile, which has a positive balance of some importance, is that of integrated low-impact farms.Farmers strategic profile, enterpreneurial analysis, rural development, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q18, Q58,

Regional management of multi-species fisheries on the basis of shared stocks and property rights: a Mediterranean case

Fishery management is a complicated task that often results in overfishing, overcapacity, and low profits for the industry. The management of shared fish stocks is particularly problematic, especially if national authorities pursue different objectives. Multi-species fisheries add further complexity to the problem. It is no accident that management tools frequently used in Northern Europe, such as total allowable catches and individual quotas, are not applied in the Mediterranean Sea, where more target species are caught simultaneously. However, the European Commission intends to introduce a market-based driver for a strong, profitable fishing industry by phasing in transferable fishing concessions. This management approach is new for the Mediterranean, and it requires in-depth examination at institutional, legal, and economic levels. In this paper, after a review of the institutional setting, the economic perspective was analyzed by estimating the production function for the Italian small pelagic fishery in the Adriatic Sea. With the addition of Croatia to the European Union, the Adriatic Sea can become a Mediterranean communal exclusive fishing area. The results indicate that output measures such as total allowable catches and individual quotas should not cause serious discarding problems for this multi-species fishery

Agricultural business economics: the challenge of sustainability

The agri-food sector is facing new and important challenges. These challenges are the consequence of the profound changes that have recently affected the national and international economic scenario

Strategic behaviour of Italian fruit and vegetables importers from South Mediterranean Countries faced with food safety standards

The aim of this study was to analyse the heterogeneity of Italian specialized importers in Southern Mediterranean Countries. We analysed a national representative sample and defined a profile of companies according to the safety of fruit and vegetable im- ports, organization of chain by suppliers and clients and efforts in safety controls. We showed that the type of supply chain affects the importers’ strategies encouraging them to implement stricter standards, such as private standards, with respect to pub- lic law in order to meet customer needs and provide a sufficient degree of differentia- tion. These strategies, however, are not always aimed at obtaining a price premium, but are taken above all to ensure the maintenance of the reputation of the companies towards the most demanding customers and stabilize its market share

Stakeholder perception of EU food safety governance: the case of EU fruit and vegetable imports from Southern Mediterranean Countries

Despite the advantages ensuing from preferential market access agreements, trade exchanges between Southern Mediterranean Countries (SMCs) and the EU are often hindered by food safety issues. These are particularly relevant for fruit and vegetables, which are subject to heterogeneous regulations in SMCs. This paper seeks to outline governance solutions to improve ex-ante compliance capacity of SMCs produc-tion and to enhance integration with the EU market. A set of research hypotheses, concerning the difficul-ties and benefits related with food safety compliance, are formulated. These hypotheses are then discussed in the light of the empirical evidence gathered from (i) public bodies involved in food safety enforcement and (ii) a direct survey conducted on 37 stakeholders in the fruit and vegetable supply chain in Italy. The main problems identified relate to the scarce harmonization among control systems in EU Member States and insufficient checks in exporting countries. The main benefits include the reduction of sanitary risk and the reinforcement of long-term trust-based relations along the supply chain. The most promising strategies encompass the improvement of inspections on production sites and of infrastructures in the countries of origin. Further areas of intervention concern the harmonization of food safety regulation between EU countries and SMCs and the development of bilateral cooperation and technical training programs

Comparison between Spanish and Italian Regulations on Cooperative Firms: Traditional or Hybrid Model?

This paper analyses the differences between the regulations on agrarian cooperatives set up in Spain and Italy. Some of these aspects are related to the solutions proposed and used by cooperatives belonging to the hybrid model to solve problems faced by the cooperatives belonging to the traditional model. The main differences in the calculation of returns and reserves and in the fiscal aspects involved have also been analysed. Although in both countries there exist regulations referring to the hybrid model, the lack of conditions required for their implementation and the absence of professional management makes cooperatives of both countries fall within the traditional model. Several differences have been found in terms of the calculation of returns and reserves and of the fiscal aspects involved.Ce document analyse les différences entre la loi espagnole et la loi italienne sur les coopératives agricoles. Certaines différences relèvent aux solutions que les coopératives hybrides proposent et mettent en oeuvre afin de résoudre les problèmes auxquels les coopératives traditionnelles font face. Même les différences principales en ce qui concerne aussi bien le calcul de la rentabilité économique et des réserves que les aspects fiscaux impliqués ont été investiguées. En réalité, aussi bien les coopératives espagnoles que les coopératives italiennes appartiennent au modèle traditionnel, même si dans les deux pays il existe un règlement concernant des aspects du modèle hybride. L’ennui c’est qu’il y a le manque de conditions requises et de staff professionnel adéquat pour la mise sur pied du modèle hybride. Bon nombre de différences ont été trouvées en matière de calcul de la rentabilité économique et des réserves et des aspects fiscaux impliqués

Exploring structural and strategic correlates of difficulties in the internationalisation process of Italian wine SMEs

Internationalisation has been a key strategy for businesses around the world over the last decades. Nowadays, the European wine sector finds itself in an increasingly competitive international environment, which is characterised by mature and declining per capita wine consumption in traditional markets and increasing competition form new emerging wine producing countries. Structurally, this sector is characterised by a vast majority of family businesses and faces several particularities. This research investigates the perception of difficulties in the internationalisation process of small and medium wineries in two emerging Italian wine exporting regions. It is found that the difficulties perceived in the internationalisation process depend on strategic and structural factors. The strategic factors highlighted in this paper are the degree of international diversification and the geographic scope of a firm's export activities. The structural factors relate to the characteristics of the exported goods, the management and the size of a firm. The findings are discussed in the light of recent developments of Italian wine exports and their implications for the Italian wine sector are derived