COHERENCE BETWEEN STRATEGIES AND TOOLS IN ITALIAN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 2007-2013: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

In the years to come Rural Development Policies will be an increasingly important part of EU Cohesion Policies. In particular, Convergence Regions with a high percentage of rural areas and a major development gap will be the most affected by this scenario. The objectives of this paper are twofold. The first is to analyze Italian Rural Development Programs in order to investigate how the Italian regional authorities have interpreted the potential role of the new RD programs and identified the specific strategies to be pursued. The second objective is to evaluate the coherence between strategies and tools indicated in the different programs. The financial plans will be compared in order to detect the possible different strategic approaches existing among regions characterized by different situations and development levels of the agricultural sector and the rural economy. For developing the analysis we will adopt the menu approach (Terluin, Venema, 2004). We will analyze three main steps which have to be taken in applying this method: (1) identification of rural development priorities; (2) selection of rural development measures to determine rural development priorities; and (3) allocation of finance to take such rural development measures. Following this approach, the 21 Italian Rural Development Programs will be compared. The first results show that the different regions selected quite a large number of rural development measures from the potential menu. Moreover, the different importance given to the agricultural and rural sectors in selecting various measures is never clear-cut.RDP, Policy Coherence, Italian RDP, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q10, Q18,

The role of modern retailers to ensure quality in the food sector: the case of organic strawberry consumption in Italy

Major changes have occurred in the agri-food sector, generating new and more complex concepts of food quality. One of the most significant indicators of these changes is market restructuring, in terms of rapid concentration among retailers, the dominance of chain stores and their imposition of cost and quality constraints. Retailers currently play a more important role in ensuring food product quality and safety than public authorities. To analyze this new aspect in the food sector, we carried out a survey on organic strawberry consumption in Italy. This segment of the organic sector is particularly interesting because the conventional strawberry may be considered an unsafe product due to the large use of chemical inputs in the production process. Nevertheless, the demand for organic strawberries demand is fairly low. We attempted to investigate such concerns through a questionnaire-based survey submitted to a representative sample of 318 Italian households. The questionnaire was structured into three areas of information to collect data related to consumer preferences for different characteristics of organic strawberries and psychometric and socio-economic variables. The data were analyzed using a Logit model to derive a demand estimate for organic strawberries. Our first results indicate the presence of a major role played by modern retailers and consumer lifestyles to drive the final demand of high-quality and safe food products.food quality and food safety, organic strawberry consumption, modern retail, Logit model., Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

The influence of country of origin on German consumer preferences for peaches: a latent class choice model

Germany is an important world level market for fresh fruit. Spain and Italy are the main suppliers of fresh fruit on the German market while the main imported products are apple, grapes, peaches and oranges. The aim of this paper is to assess the role country of origin plays in the preferences of German consumers for peaches. Since German legislation requires fresh fruit sold on the market to clearly display the product’s country of origin, German consumers usually make their choice with this information to hand. How important is such information, and what is the trade-off between country of origin and price or organic production system? We attempted to investigate such concerns through a choice experiment approach conducted by means of a questionnaire-based survey administered to a representative sample of 300 German households. In the experiment, respondents were asked to choose their favorite peach among four alternatives. Each peach was described as imported from four specific countries (Italy, Spain, Turkey and France) and available at a specific price; some of the peaches were certified Organic or PDO. The stated choices are analyzed using a latent class choice model to derive estimates of preferences for peaches. Results indicate the presence of three distinct consumer segments in the German peach market. The largest segment (48%) showed a strong preference for Italian peaches as well as for organic and PDO certification. For this segment, price was not an important attribute. The second segment (41%) showed a strong preference for Spanish produce and organic certification. Price was important in this case. The third segment (11%) had a negative preference for Italian and Spanish peaches, with price being the main attribute.Germany peach market, consumer preferences, latent class choice models, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Farm Size Adjustment and Contract Regulation (I. #203/82): Evidence From an Italian Case Study

In Italy, the structure of farm has always shown remarkable elements of weakness. Among these, the small dimension, in terms of arable land, has represented one of the most difficult to resolve. The absence of a legislation that could favour jointness of the property have remarkably reduced the market of the land. In this scenario, a new law n. 203/1982 was lunched. Now farmers are considering rent land a possible strategy to increase hectares. The object of this paper is to analyse the situation of land contract in Campania Region. A better understanding of these topics should improve public policies for a better adjustment process.Adjustment process, contract regulation, farm structure, rented land, Farm Management,

The Role of Consumer Acceptance in the Food Innovation Process: Young Consumer Perception of Functional Foods in Italy

This paper analysed the factors influencing the acceptance of functional foods (FFs) of three distinct groups of young Italian consumers. We implemented an ordered probit model based on data collected in a field survey carried out in southern Italy in 2008. The results showed that different sources of information and knowledge (e.g. the internet, newspapers and universities), judgements and motivations (e.g. taste and health effects credibility) are key elements in the acceptance of FFs. This implies the need to identify highly differentiated communication and marketing strategies for both public agencies and private firms in order to promote FF consumption

Quality dimensions and consumer preferences: A choice experiment in the Italian extra-virgin olive oil market

This paper investigates consumer preferences for extra-virgin olive oil in Italy. In order to segment the Italian extra-virgin olive oil market, the information obtained from a nationwide survey was analysed by using a randomised parameter logit regression and implementing a cluster analysis on the estimates of consumers’ willingness to pay for origin of olives, production method and sensory attributes. Our results show that information on origin, both in terms of the adoption of PDO or PGI certification and labelling of the origin, production method and organoleptic characteristics crucially affect consumer preferences for olive oil. Market segmentation shows there are consumers who are particularly sensitive to origin and organic certification as well as labelling clarity

Ecological characteristics and new competitiveness strategies in fresh vegetables market

The intense process of internationalisation of the food market is giving rise to new competitive scenarios. The growth of market shares by new export countries, along with other consumer and retailer's issues impose different marketing policies for agri-food products. In particular, a wider awareness of consumers for environmental and health issues is modifying the structure of demand for fresh products. In the past, the country of origin and a convenient quality/price ratio were the main strategic strengths for gaining and maintaining international market shares . Nowadays market shares are gained by moving towards new product attributes, namely environment friendliness and food safety. This paper aims to suggesting new and more successful marketing strategies. The case study is the German market of cherry tomatoes. An analysis of German consumer preference was performed on stated choice data. Results provide interesting insights. Product attributes related to the environment are found to be relevant. As these are defined as 'faith' attributes, we speculate that German consumers refer to product origin country as a proxy of its environmental aspects. Two separate competitive segments emerge, one with a higher level of environmental quality (Germany and Italy), and Turkey, Spain, France and Holland. Finally, results point out how policies need to be redesigned and focused on new and more complex issues expressed by consumers in modern and developed markets marketing.competitiveness strategies, cherry tomato German market, environmental friendly, fresh vegetables, Mixed Nested Logit, International Relations/Trade, Marketing,

Reaping the Benefits of Microorganisms in Cropping Systems: Is the Regulatory Policy Adequate?

Within food plant cropping systems, microorganisms provide vital functions and ecosystem services, such as biological pest and disease control, promotion of plant growth and crop quality, and biodegradation of organic matter and pollutants. The beneficial effects of microorganisms can be achieved and/or enhanced by agricultural management measures that target the resident microbial biodiversity or by augmentation with domesticated and propagated microbial strains. This study presents a critical review of the current legislation and regulatory policies pertaining to the utilization of plant-beneficial microorganisms in the European Union (EU). For augmentative approaches, the nature of the intended effect and the product claim determine how a microbiological product is categorized and regulated, and pre-market authorization may be mandatory. Typically, microbial products have been incorporated into frameworks that were designed for evaluating non-living substances, and are therefore not well suited to the specific properties of live microorganisms. We suggest that regulatory harmonization across the sector could stimulate technical development and facilitate implementation of crop management methods employing microorganisms. Possible scenarios for regulatory reform in the longer term are discussed, but more investigation into their feasibility is needed. The findings of this study should serve as a catalyst for more efficient future use of plant-beneficial microorganisms, to the benefit of agriculture as well as the environment

Value Creation Strategies in Credence Food Productions: The Case of Organic Farming in Italy

In this paper we analyse different strategies used by Italian organic farmers to create value from credence food production. More specifically, we consider the following strategies: participation in policy support programmes (i.e. rural development measures and agro environmental schemes), direct marketing (i.e. shortchains, onfarm businesses, agrotourism), onfarm processing and being a member of a marketing and/or processing cooperative. We use data from the 2006 Italian FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) related to 981 organic farmers. To estimate the factors affecting farmers’ strategies and to evaluate them simultaneously we implement a multivariate probit model (MVP). The results could be helpful to implement guidelines for public and private intervention in the next CAP programming period. Allowing for differences in farmers’ goals and their impact on the choice of farming method and strategies is important in a modern competitive scenario

Evaluating italian attitude and behaviour toward Fair Trade products

In the context of food consumption, several issues have been widely discussed in reference to a large array of attributes and product types used as evidence of growing consumer feeling toward ethical issues linked to moral and social consciousness. Animal welfare, fair prices for farmers, social aspects of production, and preservation of cultural features, are some of the product attributes for which consumer behaviour has been analyzed in the context of ethical consumerism. This paper aims at providing insights into consumer motivational systems and their relations with fair trade product purchasing behaviour. In order to pursue this goal, the effectiveness of two alternative approaches, proposed in the literature and tested in Belgium and Germany, were formally assessed in Italy. The two sets of scales were tested for predicting purchasing behaviour by using a sample of Italian consumers