Households Food Expenditures Behaviours And Socioeconomic Welfare In Italy: A Microeconometric Analysis

The paper aims to investigate food expenditure behaviours and dynamics of Italian households, by identifying the main characteristics of different socioeconomic groups. In particular, the study focuses on relevant food categories in terms of healthy diet to investigate different food styles consumers. In this framework, the paper stresses the linkages between food demand behaviours and socioeconomic characteristics to give some insights on the difference between wealthy/not wealthy consumers. The analysis uses the 2000 and 2006 Consumption Expenditure Surveys at household level, implemented by the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT), that provide useful data on households socioeconomic conditions and consumption expenditures dynamics on a cross-sectional population sample of about 24000 units. In a first step, the work analyses food expenditures characteristics and dynamics across different consumers classes in order to describe demand profiles. In a second step, the work directly investigates relations between socioeconomic characteristics (e.g. income, age, household size, education) and households food expenditures, by adopting advanced econometric methods, e.g. quantile regression methods, to identify existing differences across socioeconomic groups.Food expenditures determinants, econometric methods, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Sustainability perspectives in agricultural economics research and policy agenda

Abstract Background The agricultural sector both needs to reduce its impacts and adapt its food production system to cope with environmental constraints and climate changes. This special issue includes three selected papers presented at the 53rd annual Conference of the Italian Society of Agricultural Economics discussing the future of agriculture. The fil rouge linking the three papers is the issue of sustainability that nowadays influences the functioning of the food supply chain and the behavior of all actors involved in it, from producers to consumers. Findings The selected papers investigate the theme of sustainability by exploring strategies for the adoption of sustainable innovation in the food supply chain, developing a model that assesses the effect of climate changes on farm production, as well as evaluating consumer attitudes to wine attributes, including those related to "carbon footprint" and "winescape esthetic." Conclusions The reading of these papers provides a multifaceted light on different dimensions linking future perspectives of sustainable agriculture between globalization and local market. Papers discuss issues, propose approaches, and show empirical findings that can be useful to fuel the debate about future agricultural policies and stimulate the development of research agendas

Foodies' movement fostering stakeholders' networks: A regional case study

The central theme of this work revolves around the foodies' movement under three perspectives: firstly, from a conceptual point of view to give account of its relevance in terms of consumer demand; secondly, to verify how, from the supply side, this movement can to some extent encourage and/or strengthen the creation of networks of local actors indispensable to encourage the meeting between the needs of the demand and supply of typical food products; thirdly, based on a case study to demonstrate that the movement of foodies can be exploited within a political action aimed at reorienting local tourism development. A national case study – Alghero, IT – was analysed. By positioning the rural and urban spaces with respect to the foodies' phenomenon, the existence/absence of networks between local stakeholders some obstacles emerged so as many opportunities. The stakeholder analysis was appliedand discussed. This method was very useful for identifying the role, power and leadership that the various local actors have in favoring or hindering the creation of connection networks between the city and the countryside, and in the requalification of the supply of typical foods that fit well into the current demand trend

UNIVERSITY VALUE FOR SUSTAINABILITY. REFLECTIONS FROM A CASE STUDY

Numa fase caracterizada por mudanças políticas internacionais e nacionais, crises socioeconómicas, emergências ambientais, mudanças estruturais do sistema de instrução superior, os papéis das universidades na sociedade assumem novo significado e conteúdos adicionais. O documento examina o papel no qual as universidades podem atuar, para favorecer e acompanhar os processos locais de desenvolvimento sustentável, segundo os resultados de uma sondagem realizada numa pequena universidade italiana, a Universidade da região Molise. A investigação examinou o parecer do pessoal interno, e das partes externas envolvidas, sobre a identidade, os papéis e os valores que a Universidade da região Molise desenvolve no território, na sociedade, no desenvolvimento local sustentável. O caso de estudo evidencia a importância do envolvimento das partes num processo contínuo de identificação e de concriação de valores para a sustentabilidade.In a phase characterized by international and domestic political changes, socio-economic crises, environmental emergencies, structural changes of the higher education system, the universities’ roles in the society takes on a new significance and additional contents. The paper discusses the role that universities may play in encouraging and accompanying local sustainable development processes based on the results of a survey implemented in a small Italian university, the University of Molise. The survey investigated the opinion of internal staff and external stakeholders about the identity, the roles and values that University of Molise plays for the territory, the society, the local sustainable development. The case study highlights the importance of stakeholder involvement along a continuous process of identification and co-creation of values for sustainability

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ITALY

O aumento da população mundial, o risco de esgotamento dos recursos naturais necessários para a produção, a intensificação da mudança climática causada pela excessiva pressão antrópica no meio ambiente, exigem mudanças urgentes que atuem na escolha das fontes energéticas, na gestão dos recursos naturais, nas tecnologias de produção, nos estilos de consumo e, mais em geral, nos modelos de desenvolvimento local. Um desenvolvimento sustentável baseado em estratégias bioeconómicas está intimamente associado ao agrobusiness e à sua diversificação, ao desenvolvimento rural e local, aos limites e às oportunidades provenientes dos pilares ambientais e sociais da sustentabilidade. O objetivo deste estudo é o de fornecer um quadro das principais oportunidades através das quais o setor agroalimentar pode contribuir para a sustentabilidade dos modelos de desenvolvimento local em Itália. Após uma breve panorâmica do sistema agroalimentar italiano, o estudo analisa as oportunidades para conciliar o setor agroalimentar e o desenvolvimento sustentável, enfrentando as questões ambientais, o desenvolvimento social, a multifuncionalidade da agricultura.The increase in world population, the risk of depletion of natural resources needed for production, the intensification of climate change caused by excessive anthropogenic pressure on the environment, ask for urgent changes in the choice of energy sources, the management of natural resource, production technologies, consumption patterns and, more generally, local development patterns. A sustainable development based on bio-economic strategies is closely related to agribusiness and its diversification, rural and local development and the limitations and opportunities inherent in the environmental and social pillars of sustainability. The aim of this paper is to provide a picture of the main opportunities through which the Italian agro-food sector may contribute to the sustainability of local development patterns. After a brief overview of the Italian agro-food system, the paper discusses how to reconcile it with sustainable development, and considers aspects such as the environment, social development and multifunctional agriculture