Technical efficiency in the sheep dairy industry: an application on the Sardinian (Italy) sector

Sardinia (Italy) is one of the most important European regions for sheep dairy and sheep milk cheese production. However the Sardinian sheep dairy industry is currently going through a dramatic crisis, and verifying whether it can recover part of its profitability is now a priority. Attention is now focused on estimating whether the sheep dairy firms can improve their productivity by more efficient use of their available technical resources. This paper aims to estimate technical efficiency in the Sardinian sheep dairy industry. A stochastic frontier analysis approach was used on panel data from 36 sheep dairy firms over the period 2004–2009 in order to assess whether there are some margins for technical improvements in productivity, given the existing level of technology. A comparative analysis of private firms and cooperatives was also carried out, in order to establish if there were differences in the technology they used and/or their efficiency in using technical inputs. Our findings suggest that there is technological homogeneity among the firms and between private firms and cooperatives. Technical efficiency is equal to 0.905 and it is significantly different between private firms (0.933) and cooperatives (0.877). Our findings have certain implications for what policies should be implemented in order to improve efficiency in the sector and on the orientation of decision makers strategies

Technical efficiency and total factor productivity changes in European dairy farm sectors

This paper aims to evaluate the technical efficiency and the total factor productivity change of dairy farms in EU countries. Analyses were carried out in order to determine which countries showed the best performance adaptations when the quota regime was relaxed and to evaluate the technical conditions of European farmers at the starting point of the new regime (milk quota abolition). A data envelopment analysis (DEA) was applied on aggregate data related to 22 European countries for the period from 2004 to 2012. The findings suggest that milk farms show small scope for improving efficiency using their own technical input. The estimation of total factor productivity and its components suggest that the European milk sector has suffered a decline in productivity. This means that external factors, independent of the farmers’ capacity to use technical inputs, can play a greater role than efficiency in conditioning productivity and profitability in the near future

The Willingness to Pay for Beach Scenery and its Preservation in Italy

In order to understand the multiple values of landscape, this paper suggests an evaluative methodology that takes into account a quantitative approach, public opinion, and an economic estimation. This study analyzes the coastal scenery of 40 Italian beaches using a fuzzy logic and a Contingent Valuation (CV). Each site was classified into five categories: Class I beaches were littorals with high natural settings; Class II sites were natural and semiurban beaches having low influences by anthropic structures; Classes III, IV, and V had lower evaluations due to poor physical and human condition. A questionnaire survey analyzed beach users’ preferences, judgment, and Willingness to Pay (WTP). Results suggest that landscape judgment is directly correlated to scenery assessment; therefore, beaches of Class I and II were judged beautiful while beaches of Class IV and V had poor judgments. Similarly, the importance given to the landscape was highest in Class I and II than in the others. WTP for the conservation of the selected beaches was about €16 per season. Our findings suggest that people are disposed to pay more for a beach with the top-grade of scenery (Class I and II) and low grade of urbanization. Moreover, WTP would rise for females and for nonresident users with an academic degree, which appreciated the coastal landscape

I Prodotti agroalimentari locali nella spesa turistica: alcuni risultati di un'indagine campionaria

Il presente contributo consiste nell'approfondimento dei risultati scaturiti su scala macro nel capitolo precedente, proponendosi di evidenziare il ruolo detenuto dalle produzioni locali nella caratterizzazione della domanda turistica di prodotti agroalimentari. L'analisi delle tavole intersettoriali della Sardegna ha permesso di quantificare l'attivazione della spesa agroalimentare da parte del turismo. Si è, inoltre, proceduto a stimare l'ammontare della spesa giornaliera in prodotti alimentari da parte del singolo turista. Il livello di disarticolazione delle tavole e il tipo di informazioni disponibili, invece, non hanno consentito di computare l'incidenza su tale spesa degli acquisti in prodotti locali

Il Quadro normativo dell'agriturismo in Sardegna: un'analisi critica

Il presente contributo fornisce una rassegna critica sulle principali peculiarità della Legge Regionale n. 18 che, dal 1998, funge da principale riferimento normativo per gli operatori e le istituzioni coinvolte nell'attività agrituristica ed é orientato ad evidenziare le più significative implicazioni economiche che da tali peculiarità possono derivare. Lo studio prevede l'esame delle finalità complessive della legge e dei compiti che la medesima affida all'agriturismo, soffermandosi sulla trattazione degli aspetti normativi inerenti l'accesso alla pratica agrituristica. Sono trattati gli aspetti connessi alle iniziative di promozione e valorizzazione dell'agriturismo e analizzate alcune proposte di modifica della legge. Alcune considerazioni finali, con la formulazione di proposte di carattere politico-economico, concludono il lavoro

Una Valutazione comparata delle leggi regionali sull'attività agrituristica

Lo scopo essenziale del presente lavoro è quello di verificare, dalla disamina delle singole normative regionali disciplinanti l'attività in esame, in quale misura le varie autorità locali abbiano saputo, attingendo all'autonomia loro concessa, costruire un impianto normativo in grado di indirizzare l'agriturismo secondo gli intendimenti del legislatore nazionale. Più precisamente, assunto come dato di fatto il modello proposto dalla legge-quadro, si desidera confrontare le differenti normative elaborate in sede locale in rapporto alla loro capacità di configurarsi più o meno efficacemente come potenziali generatrici di una tipologia di sviluppo agrituristico pienamente valorizzante il paradigma nazionale, e perciò massimamente incidente sulle finalità date all'agriturismo

Ricerche economiche per il comparto agrumicolo italiano

The aim of the research carried out in the course of the three years has been various. The first one was to define the aspects characterizing the competitive position of the main operating systems of production on the "international citrus markets". Within this line of search it has been carried out an analysis of the competitiveness of the main countries in the international trade, through different economie indicators and has been applied the CMSA analysis. The second one, has focused the attention on the business analysis, placing to comparison biological and conventional citrus companies

Grande distribuzione e alimenti biologici: un’analisi sul comportamento del consumatore

In the last decade, relevance of organic products into the food demand is constantely increasing. It is common opinion that a good contribute in affecting organic food purchases is due to the Large Retail. In the light of this considerations, this paper aims to investigate if and in which measure some of the typical strategies adopted by the Italian Large Retail affect organic food purchases. More specifically, the purpose is to evaluate effects of six well-noted strategical actions reflecting pricing, information, assortment and awareness in conditioning organic food demand by Large Retail consumers. Furthermore, a logit-linear model was adopted as to evaluate which social and economic variables are sensitive to each strategical factor. Findings reveal that pricing would be the factor that mostly moves the organic food demand in the Italian Large Retail. They also suggest that type of work, geographical residence, age and gender would be the individual variables that mainly influence behaviour of consumers in the Large Retail

Potere della distribuzione moderna nelle filiere agroalimentari: il caso dell'olio d'oliva in Italia

In the last decade, relevance of organic products into the food demand is constantely increasing. It is common opinion that a good contribute in affecting organic food purchases is due to the Large Retail. In the light of this considerations, this paper aims to investigate if and in which measure some of the typical strategies adopted by the Italian Large Retail affect organic food purchases. More specifically, the purpose is to evaluate effects of six well-noted strategical actions reflecting pricing, information, assortment and awareness in conditioning organic food demand by Large Retail consumers. Furthermore, a logit-linear model was adopted as to evaluate which social and economic variables are sensitive to each strategical factor. Findings reveal that pricing would be the factor that mostly moves the organic food demand in the Italian Large Retail. They also suggest that type of work, geographical residence, age and gender would be the individual variables that mainly influence behaviour of consumers in the Large Retail

Assessing sustainability policies in European agriculture: an approach using the FEEM indicators

This paper aims to assess how sustainability in European agriculture might evolve in the long run, depending on which different policy scenarios are used. Particular attention is paid to the role played by the “new challenges” which are the policy aims of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013: climate change; safeguarding biodiversity; rational use of water resources and promotion of bio-energy. The conceptual framework is the new set of indicators on sustainability evaluation proposed by the Fondazione ENI Enrico Mattei (FEEM). No empirical findings have been carried out in this research. This preliminary step is aimed only at highlighting the possible relationships between the challenges that the CAP faces if it is to guarantee sustainability in the sector and to evaluate how the promotion of these policy priorities can affect sustainability. The results of this qualitative analysis show the possible contradictions between the CAP objectives if harmonic and sustainable agricultural development is to be achieved