Animal Welfare in the CAP and Large-Scale Distribution. Public Social Policy and Consumer Trust

This paper studies the role of animal welfare (AW) institutionally and for large scale retail and its value in consolidating trust between institutions-taxpayers and large scale retail-consumers. The first section analyses AW in the new CAP and current strategies of retail with regard to expectations of taxpayers and consumers respectively. The second section analyses interviews on AW carried out in large scale and traditional retailing on the Italian market, and puts forward short and medium term forecasts of the importance that AW could have in distribution strategies in trust building with consumers and in relationships with institutional and other interlocutors of the retail trade.CAP, animal welfare, modern retail, free-riders, pro-active and reactive strategies, Agricultural and Food Policy, Livestock Production/Industries,

Quality Markers and Consumer Communication Strategies: Empirical Evidence in the 'Very Fresh' Sector in Italy

Quality is a key factor when consumers choose agri-food products, but at the same time is difficult for them to assess. On the demand side, consumers require protection measures, and on the supply side, efficient communications need to be available to all operators, including those who cannot afford to supply their own. In this context, quality markers such as logos, brands and indications or denominations that distinguish a product from its competitors can be a strategic way of transmitting information, especially for firms which cannot afford resources for communications or their own brand name. This research analyses and assesses the role of brands and territorial markers (PDO, PGI) in enhancing and promoting “very fresh” food products, in particular fruit and vegetables. The first part of the work identifies the most widely used quality markers, and the legal and organisational aspects for some of them. The second part is empirical and includes case studies on PDO and PGI, two company brands (Melinda and Marlene) in the fruit and vegetable sector and, finally, one collective brand, “QC – Qualità Controllata” set up by a regional authority, Emilia Romagna Region. Our case studies lead to the conclusion that collective brands and indications or denominations alone are not a sufficient condition for commercial success. What is essential, on top of basic product requisites, is the organisation of supply and brand strategy.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Regulatory Framework and Private Innovation: The Case of Animal Welfare Friendly Beef Supply Chain in Italy

The paper examines innovation in the agrifood sector through an analysis of relationships between public institutions and the private sector. The first part is theoretical and analyses the roles played by public and private actors in innovation. The second part is a case study of the beef supply chain of COOP, the biggest retailer on the Italian market. It exemplifies product innovation driven by a regulatory framework and shows how organisation and structural renewal required by animal welfare legislation can lead to voluntary initiatives and additional innovation along the supply chain. The case study also features the role of institutions in communications and shows how market awareness drives improvement in organisation of production chains

Private Innovation and Public Innovation: Who Leads and Who Follows?

This paper examines two models of interaction between private and public institutions in respect to the process of innovation. While private firms adopt proactive strategies and public institutions follow it is considered that, under certain conditions, public institutions are the innovator and private firms are the followers. The first part of the research is theoretical and formulates the two models and their implications. The second part presents a case study of Italian products which have Animal Welfare (AW) attributes, where production follows the second relationship model. The case study shows that AW friendly products are the result of EU legislation, which obliges the industry to adapt production, organisation, publicity, communication and promotion. This is the inverse of the traditional relationship where private firms take the initiative

Are geographical indication products fostering public goods? some evidence from Europe

Within the framework of multifunctional conceptualisation, the authors have investigated the level of public goods embedded in Agri-food geographical indication productsPostprint (published version

Innovation and marketing strategies for PDO products: the case of “Parmigiano Reggiano” as an ingredient

Typical products can contribute to socio-economic development of their place of origin if they are able to take part in the logic of the global market. The aim of this research is to examine one type of innovation, the use of PDO products as ingredients, as a part of a strategy to re-launch PDO products which have a mature market. The evolution of the concept of innovation is discussed; innovation is then considered in relation to product life cycle and information asymmetry. There is then a case study on the use of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano cheese as an ingredient in industrial processing. This case shows that even incremental innovation can have serious effects for the market when it is applied on production phases which lie outside the direct control of the PDO producers. In order to protect the consumer as well as the PDO producer, it would be advisable for new legislation to regulate in more detail innovation involving products bearing origin certificates

Children with phenylketonuria: basic audiological evaluation and suppression of otoacoustic emissions

PURPOSE: To evaluate the auditory pathways of children with early-treated phenylketonuria through audiometry, immitance tests, and suppression of transient otoacoustic emissions. METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional study with sample composed by 28 children: 12 with phenylketonuria and 16 without the disease. Participants underwent auditory evaluations composed of air- and bone-conduction pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, immittance tests and suppression of transient otoacoustic emissions. RESULTS: All participants presented normal results in pure-tone and speech audiometry; however, speech discrimination scores were lower on the phenylketonuria group. Immitance tests revealed normal tympanograms for all children, but stapedial reflex thresholds demonstrated higher thresholds in 2 and 4 kHz for children with phenylketonuria. The suppresion of transient otoacoustic emissions did not show difference in the comparison between groups. CONCLUSION: The basic audiologic assessment do not identify hearing disorders in children with phenylketonuria; however, speech discrimination scores were lower and stapedial reflexes were higher in these children, which may indicate auditory processing disorders. The study of the suppression of transient otoacoustic emissions demonstrated integrity of the olivocochlear efferent system in children with phenylketonuria.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a via auditiva de crianças com fenilcetonúria tratadas precocemente, por meio de audiometria, imitanciometria e supressão das emissões otoacústicas transientes. MÉTODOS:Estudo prospectivo transversal comparativo com amostra composta por 28 crianças, sendo 12 com fenilcetonúria e 16 sem a doença. Foi realizada a pesquisa dos limiares de audibilidade por via aérea e óssea, logoaudiometria, imitanciometria e supressão das emissões otoacústicas transientes. RESULTADOS: A audiometria e a logoaudiometria estiveram normais em todos os participantes. Foram encontrados piores resultados para o índice de reconhecimento de fala (IRF) no grupo com fenilcetonúria. A imitanciometria revelou curva normal para todas as crianças, mas a pesquisa dos reflexos estapedianos demonstrou que as crianças do grupo com fenilcetonúria apresentaram aumento nos seus limiares nas frequências de 2 e 4 kHz. A supressão das emissões otoacústicas transientes não revelou diferença na comparação entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: A avaliação audiológica básica não identifica alterações na audição das crianças com fenilcetonúria, mas há pior discriminação ao IRF e aumento nos limiares de reflexos estapedianos nessas crianças, podendo indicar distúrbios do processamento auditivo. O estudo da supressão das otoemissões demonstra integridade do sistema eferente olivococlear medial nas crianças com fenilcetonúria.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de FonoaudiologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de FonoaudiologiaSciEL

Are geographical indication products fostering public goods? Some evidence from Europe

Within the framework of multifunctional conceptualisation, the authors have investigated the level of public goods embedded in Agri-food geographical indication products. Moving from the concept of the local Agri-food system, the generation of public goods are observed both on the value chain and on the territory. Three different dimensions of public goods are considered: Cultural heritage issues, socio-economic themes, and natural resources. To pursue this aim, the FAO-SAFA method is adopted. A single index for the three dimensions is computed in order to provide an easy and quick interpretation of the three dimensions. Preliminary empirical evidence on two cases studies suggests different public goods levels embedded in geographical indications, depending on the dimensions analysed. The method proposed aims to be a simple and effective tool to support good practice for policy makers and indicate fields for intervention where indexes show that improvements could be made.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio