Old and new partners: similarity and competition in the EU foreign trade

The paper analyses the trade relationships among EU- 15 members and some emerging partners: the NMS, Turkey and China. The EU enlargement to 10 countries has modified quite remarkably the features of agri-food trade in Europe. Some of the NMS, such as Poland, Hungary and the Check Republic, contribute to a large extent to the international agri-food trade and, since the beginning of the process of EU accession, have modified dramatically the exchanges with the EU- 15. More recently, other countries are facing new relationships with the EU: Turkey and China. Turkey is a large Mediterranean country and, as a candidate to the EU accession, enjoys a differential treatment in the agri- food trade relationships with the EU. China can be considered as a new international competitor, growing at faster pace after having joined the WTO and increasing its agri-food trade exchanges with the EU. The analysis will focus on the measurement of the similarity of agri-food exports of Italy and other EU-15 member States with the new partners to the EU- 15 market. It will be carried out with the support of three different indicators: the export structure similarity index (ES), the product similarity index (PSI) and the quality similarity index (QSI), using the Eurostat database with an eight "digit" merchandise disaggregation and with reference only to agri-food exchanges. It can be concluded that the similarity is quite low, especially if compared to that of the exports of the EU- 15 countries to the EU market. Moreover, looking at the level of quality of export products, it is highlighted how quality remains a crucial factor for Italian and European agri- food products to compete with external products. Keywords : International Competitiveness, Export Similarity, EU Agri- Food Market, EU Enlargement.International Relations/Trade, F1, Q17.,

The Consistency of Rural Development Policies with the Position of the European Union on NTCS

The set of policy tools that the EU puts under the heading of Rural Development is extremely heterogeneous, such heterogeneity translates into a different degree of coupling support with agriculture production and also brings out the need to discuss the actual consistency of such tools with the UE position on NTCs at WTO. Examined in the present work are the Rural Development Plans (RDPs) and the Regional Operative Plans (ROPs) recently approved by the European Commission for the Italian Regions. The analysis is of a purely qualitative type and is based on currently available information, that is, the measures and the relative project typologies approved within the Plans. Taking into account the EU position on NTCs and their relation with multifunctionality we look at the tools applied for Rural Development in Italy with respect to their degree of de-coupling, production of externalities/non marketable goods and consistency with the EU position on NTCs. Financial allotment by measure typology is also examined. We found out that the present set of actions that fall under rural development is still dominated by a sector−based intervention, even in the case of measures aimed at safeguarding the environment, the least contestable ones. Paradoxically, the measures aimed at the promotion of Rural Development and at training, that better respond to the NTC objectives, are those for which the least resources are located.Non trade concerns, multifunctionality, rural development policies., Community/Rural/Urban Development,

The effects of decoupling on Italian COP sector: an ex-post evaluation

One of the main objectives of the 2003 CAP reform was that to enhance farm competitiveness and make farmers able to catch market signals and adjust their production level and specialization accordingly. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the effects of decoupling in Italy COP sector comparing the estimated results of some structural and economic indicators of a sample of farms before and after the 2003 reform using data from the Italian Institute of Statistics and of the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The analysis shows an improvement of income in farms that kept COP production specialization through the years under study. At the same time, farms that opted for a different specialisation in the post reform period improved their economic performance. All this suggests that coupled support had become a constraint rather than an opportunity and that the 2003 reform, decoupling farm support from production, has contributed to a more efficient and market-oriented COP sector in Italy.CAP, decoupling, Italian FADN, COP sector, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q18,

The Employment Crisis and Green Orientation in Agriculture: New Educational Models

Abstract This paper will address to the subject relating to the employment emergency and will analyze which are the conditions that can foster a green shared orientation among all stakeholders in the food system. So they can help to identify ways to solve this dramatic emergency. The study will be divided into three phases: 1. desk analysis on review of current training professional profiles green oriented; 2. evaluation of green employment, labor market and the current training system, with particular reference to the gap between the needs of businesses and provision of training in the sector; 3. thoughts on new green oriented professional profiles and the necessary training. The result will provide a first assessment of the state of art concerning this fundamental condition for the development of a green society

The future role of Agriculture in Multifunctional Rural Development: The case of Italy

This paper addresses the issue of the role of agriculture in multifunctional rural development in Italy. Italy is characterised by high heterogeneity in terms of territorial composition, rural areas and the role of agriculture. The paper reviews the main multifunctionality concerns in Italy, by discussing rural development issues and policies and addressing the role of agriculture in such a context. The further development of agriculture and related future issues are then discussed, both in terms of dominant themes and most relevant policy design issues

The agri-food system in the Mediterranean countries of the European community: structures and policies, with particular reference to Italy

The analysis presented seeks to introduce the problems encountered by the North Mediterranean Countries in relation to food production, distribution and consumption. The productive aspects of the food system are emphasized in the thesis, in view of their importance in the economic and social life throughout the Mediterranean. The idea of food consumption as a primary influential factor in the development of food production and distribution is also underlined. A general discussion of the social consequences of food consumption, for example on consumers' health, and of the environmental effects of food production is provided. Moreover, a description of the differences in the European food production and consumption at a national and regional level is presented and the Mediterranean region (Medit) is defined. A detailed description is given of some of the most important features of the Italian agri- food system. The Italian case shows clearly that the efficiency of the public sector represents one of the most important factors in the development of an adequate food system. There are many reasons to believe that the action of the Italian governments in the past few decades have not always been directed towards the public interest, and this conclusion seems also valid outside the specific topic of the current study. The lack of a responsible public management, however, has not impeded Italian governments in providing businesses with a comfortable domestic environment, amply subsidized and shielded against foreign competition, in exchange for political support. Fortunately, the Italian political system is now collapsing, along with the 'cold-war’ international order and the new challenges originating from a more integrated European Community, and this hopefully will allow the re-foundation of an efficiently functioning modern economy

Breadwinner, bread maker. Gender division of labor and intrahousehold inequality in 1930s rural Italy

This paper offers a quantitative description of gender segregation in productive roles, and of its consequences on basic dimensions of women’s and girls’ wellbeing, among rural households in interwar Italy. It uses microdata assembled from a collection of family monographs, which recount the lives, work, and consumption behavior of more than 800 men and women. It finds that, despite the emphasis put by the qualitative literature on non-stereotypical examples of female work, a rigid gender-based division of labor was the rule. An investigation of household nutrition and expenditures does not offer definitive proof of gender bias in intrahousehold resource allocation, in spite of anecdotal evidence. Nevertheless, women commanded a lower share of total household income, while putting in as many or more working hours than men

Vascular flora of eight water reservoir areas in southern Italy

Artificial lakes play an important role in maintaining the valuable biodiversity linked to water bodies and related habitats. The vascular plant diversity of eight reservoirs and surrounding areas in southern Italy was inventoried and further analysed in terms of biodiversity. A total of 730 specific and subspecific taxa were recorded, with 179 taxa in the poorest area and 303 in the richest one. The results indicate a good richness of the habitats surrounding the water basins, with some species of nature conservation interest and only a few alien species