New market channels for a non-food agricultural product. The development of an alternative supply chain for the bergamot citrus in Calabria, Italy

Abstract

The bergamot, a typical fruit of the Italian region of Calabria, contains an essence that is a basic component for the perfume industry. In the last decades bergamot sector declined dramatically, because of the introduction of an artificial substitute of the essence and for the producers' fragmentation. After describing the evolution of the industry and of the supply-chain structure, the paper analyses the experience of a group of growers who overcame the crisis through the creation of an alternative quality-based supply chain. The analysis is conducted in the light of the socio-economic literature on agricultural supply chains and industry analysis.industry analysis; alternative supply chains; five forces model; market positioning; agricultural marketing; non-food agricultural products; organic farming; trust; Italy; supply chain management; SCM; new market channels; bergamot citrus; agricultural supply chains.