Gli acquisti di prodotti florovivaistici in Italia

This paper examines the consumers’ behaviours in buying flowers and ornamental plants in Italy, through the analysis of attitudes, motivations, preferences and, in particular, of the tendency to purchase organic flowers and ornamental plants. The results if, on the one hand, show a modest spread in purchasing organic flowers and ornamental plants, on the other hand, show a good tendency to purchase and the willingness to pay for organic products, revealing concrete opportunities of growth for this area of the market.

How Organizational Resources and Managerial Features Affect Business Performance: An Analysis in the Greek Wine Industry

Despite the growing interest of the wine industry in quality and environmental certifications and the influence of these standards on positioning in international markets, scholarly research has paid proportionally limited attention to the link between winery export intensity and the adoption of internationally recognized standards. This study aims to analyze which factors make an organizational model performant, and to verify the impact of the adoption of third-party certifications on the export performance by using the resource-based view (RBV) theory as a theoretical lens. Findings show that younger wineries are more oriented towards the adoption of voluntary quality and environmental ce…

Strumenti di supporto alle decisioni nei problemi multidimensionali: le analisi multicriteriali

Agriculture in a Sicilian inland area: Strategies and motivations of conversion towards multifunctional activities

The main topic of the paper concerns multifunctional farms, their activities and motivations for starting up, and on the other hand visitor satisfaction. To this purpose, a preliminary sample survey was carried out addressed to 13 farms in 3 Sicilian provinces. The aim was to identify positive and negative aspects of the services offered. The most relevant findings of the survey are the variety of activities and services, a widespread use of internet services, efficient means of communications and a significant growth in labour force. On the other side, long time is generally needed in order to obtain administrative authorizations or to carry out farm plants, as well as excessive pay-back t…

Monumental trees and their existence value: the case study of an Italian natural park

The paper deals with the evaluation of the existence value of monumental trees in a protected area. Financial resources to be destined for protection interventions have been decreasing more and more, with a high risk of losing this natural heritage. A Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) survey was carried out among the Madonie Park (Sicily, Italy) resident households to evaluate the existence value of monumental trees of the nature trail named "Piano Sempria-Piano Pomo", represented by a population of "Giant hollies" and by 7 other individual trees. These are the main results of the CVM survey: the overall response rate was 40%, individual average WTPs ( Willingness To Pay ) were €12.37 for t…

Political and economic fisheries management in the Channel of Sicily

Fishery activities in the Mediterranean Sea are characterized by a number of distinctive features which include relative extension of national to international waters, straddling and shared stocks, overall characteristics of fishing activities, availability of scientific information and the absence of a policy fisheries management in many coastal States. Therefore, the principal objective of this paper is to portray a framework on the politics of management of the fish resources in the Channel of Sicily, by examining both the CFP in the Mediterranean or the Italian–Tunisian relationship, and then to inspect the fishing effort of the Sicilians and Tunisian productive structures to carry out …

COVID-19 Drives Consumer Behaviour and Agro-Food Markets towards Healthier and More Sustainable Patterns

This study examines the extant state of research into our understanding of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in its early stages on food-purchasing behaviour. As such, it includes a summary and categorisation of the findings, extending to consumption preferences worldwide. After the indiscriminate stockpiling of food, which was witnessed in many countries following the implementation of the lockdown, the impact of COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease-2019) on consumer habits has inversely varied in function of personal attitudes, individual and household experiences, and characteristics. Specific contexts, and the financial, economic, and logistic nature of these contexts, have also been foun…

A ricardian analysis of the impact of climate change on permanent crops in a mediterranean region

This is the first study which explores the impact of climate change in Sicily, a small Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. According to research, Mediterranean area has shown large climate shifts in the last century and it has been identified as one of the most prominent “Hot-Spots” in future climate change projections. Since agriculture is an economic activity which strongly depends on climate setting and is particularly responsive to climate changes, it is important to understand how such changes may affect agricultural profitability in the Mediterranean region. The aim of the present study is to assess the expected impact of climate change on permanent crops cultivated in Sicilian r…

Is there sustainable entrepreneurship in the wine industry? Exploring Sicilian wineries participating in the SOStain program

Abstract Global climate change and the accelerating depletion of natural resources have contributed to increase discussions about the role of private enterprises in reversing negative environmental trends. Rather than focusing on profit maximization, policy makers and consumers pressure groups expect firms to meet a triple-bottom line of economic, environmental and social value creation. Hence sustainable entrepreneurship has received recently increasing interest as a phenomenon and a research topic. More recently, the concept of sustainability has been taken seriously in the Italian wine industry. The organizational challenge for entrepreneurship is to better integrate social and environme…

Economic performance and risk of farming systems specialized in perennial crops: An analysis of Italian hazelnut production

Abstract Assessing farm profitability and economic risk is important to support farmers' decisions. Several factors affect yields and product prices, in turn influencing farmers' income level and economic risk. However, the literature has often neglected to explicitly account for the role of product quality. This is particularly important for crops such as hazelnut because farmers' prices vary according to the quality of the harvested product. Furthermore, it seems fundamental to disentangle the role of parameters influencing farm results, noticeably yield, product price and quality. This is because farmers select their risk management tools to satisfy their needs, but these are often suita…

Analisi tecnico-economica sulle imprese d’allevamento del tonno rosso in Italia

La presente indagine muove dalla necessità di individuare le potenzialità attuali e quelle future del sotto-comparto del tonno allevato nel nostro Paese e mira ad acquisire informazioni attendibili circa gli aspetti tecnici, economici e di mercato delle principali imprese di allevamento di tonno rosso che operano nel Meridione d'Italia. Essa - partendo da una breve disamina dei principali sistemi di pesca e delle tecniche di allevamento maggiormente diffuse nel Meridione d'Italia - analizza in dettaglio i principali caratteri tecnico-economici delle imprese d'allevamento del tonno rosso, al fine di acquisire utili elementi di valutazione su tale attività produttiva sia in termini di redditi…

A financial feasibility study of an aquaponic system in a Mediterranean urban context

Abstract Aquaponics is largely recognized as a solution for sustainable food production as it follows a biomimetic natural system and the circular economy principles, allowing large food productivity on nonagricultural land, and at the same time strongly reducing inputs and waste. In this study, we collected technical, economic and production data from a pilot aquaponic plant producing lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) realized in an urban context in Sicily (Southern Italy), very suitable area for aquaponic production in relation to the Mediterranean climate. Through the determination of Net return and Break Even Point, analysing on one side the items which c…

Sustainability initiatives and experiences in the Sicilian wine industry

The Italian wine sector shows an increasing interest towards sustainability issues. As a result, a wide number of programs and initiatives concerning environmental, social and economic sustainability has been developed in recent years. The aim of this manuscript is to describe the adaptation of the Sicilian wine sector to the new scenario of sustainable productions. To this purpose a direct survey of 5 Sicilian wineries involved in two different sustainability programs, SOStain and Magis, was carried out. The findings of the study reveal that the sustainability path undertaken by the wineries analyzed has led to management awareness that company activities can ensure social and human benefi…

Analisi economico-agrarie della filiera agrumicola e strategie di valorizzazione: arance bionde e mandarini

La Sicilia rappresenta la prima regione italiana per investimenti agrumicoli ed in particolare di arance e mandarini. Nel presente lavoro si è analizzata la redditività e la competitività della filiera dell’arancia bionda di Ribera e quella del mandarino tardivo di Ciaculli. L’analisi economica, realizzata attraverso la determinazione della redditività della coltivazione e la determinazione dei successivi costi di condizionamento, ha messo in luce una situazione di debolezza strutturale sia per l’arancia che per il mandarino. L’analisi SWOT riferita ad entrambe le filiere ha permesso di evidenziare i punti di forza e di debolezza che attualmente caratterizzano le due realtà produttive nonch…

Implementation of green harvesting in the Sicilian wine industry: Effects on the cooperative system

This paper contributes to assessing the effectiveness of the GH measure to contribute in reducing the supply of wine grapes, and thus contrasting the fall of wine prices in those years when especially abundant productions are expected. By analysing the application of this measure to the Sicilian wine sector during the three-year period (2010–2012), we assess its effects on the regional wine cooperative system. The results from the analysis of the statistical data show that the GH measure was successful in terms of the number of applications, the supported area and financial expenditures, and contributed with other factors to determining a reduction in wine grape production. The empirical su…

New development opportunities for the craft brewing segment: the case study of a micro-malthouse

In Italy in the past few years, the number of small breweries penetrating the craft beer sector has grown exponentially. Craft producers intend to give a strong added value and a local character to their production in different ways. One of these is the use of malt derived from small batches of local cereals and pseudo cereals. The aim of this study is the assessment of investment profitability, through a cost-benefit analysis (CBA), for a compact and a modular micro-malting plant in Sicily (Southern Italy). The CBA for a micro-malthouse was carried out considering both installation and operating costs. Net present value (NPV), discounted benefit-cost ratio (DBCR) and internal rate of retur…

Il sistema agroalimentare nel quadro della contabilità nazionale.

THE SUCCESS FACTORS OF A SICILIAN MARKET-ORIENTED WINE COOPERATIVE

Wine cooperatives have a long tradition in Sicily, as well as in Italy and in Europe. The objective of this paper is to reconstruct the general framework of the Sicilian wine cooperatives that still account for nearly 80% of the regional wine grapes production. In this context we examine the productive, organizational and commercial strategies of a case study: Cantine Settesoli. Founded in Menfi (Western Sicily, Italy) in 1958 on the initiative of a group of wine grape-growers, the Cantine Settesoli has developed over the decades and now represents the major bottled wine cooperative in Sicily, whose 2,135 members own 5% of Sicilian vineyards. With its four wine-making plants, a volume of gr…

A Systematic Literature Review of Historic Garden Management and Its Economic Aspects

Historic gardens are important parts of humanity’s built heritage within the designed landscape, providing many environmental, economic and socio-cultural benefits. Management is a key part of their conservation, perhaps the most difficult because it is costly, must be continual, and requires a skilled workforce. This systematic review looks at the literature addressing historic garden management, with special attention regarding the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. Academic studies on this subject come from many different disciplines, making it both stimulating and fragmented. It is now time to consolidate these interdisciplinary efforts into a clear vision, in…

Explorative study of multifunctional agriculture in a Sicilian inland area

The study investigates the agricultural multifunctional activities carried out in a Sicilian typical rural area, the motivations for entrepreneurial choices and the overall level of satisfaction. An exploratory survey was therefore carried out on a selected group of 13 farms localized in 3 Sicilian provinces, with the goal to identify strengths and weaknesses of their multifunctional activities. From the farm survey, several positive results came to light, among which a wide variety of services and activities, an increase in farm workforce and a high level in communication and Internet services. On the other hand, some criticalities emerged in the transition process, such as heavy delays in…

Lo scenario vitivinicolo internazionale ed europeo

Agri-Food Markets towards Sustainable Patterns

In recent decades, the confluence of different global and domestic drivers has led to progressive and unpredictable changes in the functioning and structure of agri-food markets worldwide. Given the unsustainability of the current agri-food production, processing, distribution and consumption patterns, and the inadequate governance of the whole food system, the transition to sustainable agriculture and food systems has become crucial to effectively manage a global agri-food market able in supporting expected population growth and ensuring universal access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for all. Based on a critical review of the existing international literature, the paper seeks to…

L'industria di trasformazione degli agrumi

LA POLITICA DI COESIONE 2000-2006: PRINCIPI E REGOLE

I costi della meccanizzazione nelle aziende viticole di Pantelleria

Growth of citrus production among the Euro-Mediterranean countries: political implications and empirical findings

The agricultural matter has always played an important role in holding back the Euro-Mediterranean integration process due to the strong complementarity of the agricultures of the coastal countries which share excellent products including citrus fruits. The main goal of this paper is to understand the growth dynamics of the citriculture in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Through the application of the dynamic formulation of the Shift and Share Analysis it has been possible to analyse the trend of the amount of harvested citrus production, in physical and economic terms, in the last fifteen years, and above all which components, structural and competitive, have mainly influenc…

Good, safe and fair: Quality perception and consumer demand of Locally produced beef in Southern Italy

The increasing concern amongst consumers regarding the safety and quality of the beef that they buy is the result of food scares that have characterized the beef market in the last two decades. These scares, together with environmental and ethical concerns, caused consumers to reflect upon the quality of the beef they eat. The aim of this paper is to identify which quality characteristics influence the incidence of local beef consumption on the total consumption of beef. It is assumed in this study that such choice is a response to a process of quality evaluation, which occurs combining specific quality attributes and socially constructed food quality criteria strictly linked to a socially …

The appropriate legal and administrative measures: The Florence Charters and legislation governing the identification, listing and protection of historic gardens in Palermo, Sicily

40 years ago, the ICOMOS-IFLA and Italian Florence Charters canonized historic gardens as cultural heritage. However, neither document has legal force, so they are only influential if voluntarily accepted and translated into legal or administrative measures. This paper uses the city of Palermo, (Sicily) to compare the policy recommendations made in the Florence Charters to the international, Italian, regional and municipal policy that effectively governs historic gardens. Because of its autonomous privileges, Sicily governs its heritage differently than the rest of Italy, and in many ways this independence exacerbates problems in historic garden conservation and management. The Covid-19 pan…

Promoting dairy products through the web: The case of Pecorino Siciliano PDO during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study analyses the digital marketing tools that companies producing Pecorino Siciliano with a protected designation of origin (PDO) are implementing on the web through their corporate website and their brand page on Facebook. It aims to verify whether companies are adapting (or not) to new trends in web marketing and e-commerce. The quality of corporate websites was assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of usability and amount of activity on Facebook brand pages by Pecorino Siciliano PDO-producing companies. Analysed data show that the companies producing Pecorino Siciliano PDO fell short in developing their web-marketing tools, demonstrating their poor adaptation to the new d…

Efficienza e redditività di un'impresa di allevamento di tonno rosso mediterraneo

Al fine di valutare gli aspetti economici, reddituali e finanziari della gestione aziendale di un’impresa siciliana di allevamento di tonno rosso mediterraneo, sono state analizzate le informazioni riportate a consuntivo nei bilanci contabili degli anni 2004, 2005 e 2006 regolarmente depositati presso il Registro delle Imprese, in cui sono trascritti gli elementi patrimoniali e i risultati economici degli esercizi conclusi il 31 dicembre per ciascuno dei tre esercizi amministrativi esaminati. In particolare, sono state dapprima esaminate le principali poste dello stato patrimoniale riclassificato secondo criteri “finanziari” (di liquidità delle fonti e di esigibilità degli impieghi), e succ…

Development and management of winemaking sustainability: an explorative survey in Sicily

Sustainability is reshaping the global wine industry. This paper provides a fact-finding contribution to the knowledge on how the Sicilian winegrowing sector is facing the challenge of the new scenario of sustainable productions. To reach this goal we carried out an explorative analysis of those Sicilian wineries involved in 2 important sustainability programs in the Italian wine sector, Magis and SOStain, aimed at improve the implementation of sustainable viticulture and wine production. The results of our research concerning 5 wineries in Sicily reveal that adopting sustainable productive methods has lead in general to good technical and financial results by improving their business effic…

L’analisi aziendale

Agricultural Value Chain for Food Security: Challenges and Opportunities from SDG2

The objective of this text is to provide non-economists with an analytical tool by which to understand various aspects of how contemporary agriculture and agribusiness systems function. It will begin by outlining Porter’s value chain paradigm and Porter’s value system. Thereafter, there will follow an overview of the meaning of agricultural value chain (AVC) and its main features.

Urban consumers’ attitudes and willingness to pay for functional foods in Iran: A case of dietary sugar

Growing concerns for the incidence of incurable diseases and high costs of health care have attracted consumers to functional foods in the world. These foods are characterized with health improvement, lower risk of disease incidence and less health hazards. The present work examined consumers’ attitude and willingness to pay for dietary sugar in Rasht city, Iran. The studied sample included 125 citizens of Rasht in spring and summer of 2016 whose size was determined by Mitchell and Carson approach. Results of contingent valuation method on the basis of one-and-one-half-bound choice model revealed that the descriptive variable of bid had negative, statistically significant impact on the acce…

Microbreweries, brewpubs and beerfirms in the Sicilian craft beer industry

Purpose This paper aims to illustrate the organisational and managing models characterising the craft beer producers in Sicily (Southern Italy) and the main issues of the provision of raw materials. Design/methodology/approach A direct survey involving the overall population of 41 craft breweries operating in Sicily in 2016 was carried out. Then 29 questionnaires were collected for exploratory analysis. A hierarchical cluster analysis was also performed out to group companies by similar structural, productive and economic features. Findings The findings of the survey showed a Sicilian craft beer industry characterised by a substantial dependence on the import of malts hops and yeasts and t…

Urban landscape evolution as a consequence of an invasive pest: The case of a small sicilian town

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), after its accidental introduction in Italy in 2005, determined a progressive disruption of Canary palms mostly in the central and southern regions. As it is difficult to undertake the management of this pest, the possibility of substituting the killed/symptomatic palms with other ornamental trees has been recently discussed. In this context, understanding the citizens' needs about green areas can improve the management of public parks and urban greening. Involving citizens on the natural resource management using public participation processes is crucial. The case study of a small town of Sicily (Italy) was treated and the spread of this pest was monitored. Moreov…

An exploratory analysis of website quality in the agrifood sector: The case of extra virgin olive oil

Besides verifying the current consistency on the Internet of websites set up by Sicilian (Southern Italy) EVO oil firms, this paper aims to verify their e-service quality by evaluating which main quality features, as derived from the literature, they have. To process the data, descriptive statistics were used, which allowed detection of the presence/absence of the variables examined. The study found 280 websites with some qualitative gaps. Findings highlight that EVO oil firms do not exploit the potentialities of the web adequately. They often use the Internet as a communication and promotion tool, but only to a lesser degree for e-commerce. The results may be useful to both agrifood manage…

Lo sviluppo responsabile dell’acquacoltura

The recreational value of botanic garden events: A case study of the Zagara plant fair in Palermo, Italy

Botanic gardens are defined by their mission to maintain living plant collections for scientific research, conservation, display and education. This mission represents the potential ecosystem services that botanic gardens aim to produce, with display and education specifically regarding recreational ecosystem services (RES). Visitors must directly experience botanic gardens to transform these potential RES into real benefits, yet the public may not be interested in studying plants during their leisure time. Thus, botanic gardens turn to events to attract visitors. The objective of this study is to estimate the RES benefits created by a botanic garden event and profile the visitors that it b…

Skills for competitiveness: an empirical analysis of the educational provision for oenologists offered by Italian universities

Purpose: Whilst operating in the context of a high-income economy, the Italian labour market is affected by the considerable challenges of vertical mismatch, skill gaps and skill shortages. In such a context, the aim of this empirical study is to explore current university provision regarding the formal qualification of the oenologist, in order to assess its alignment with the professionalism demands from the wine sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: The following was deployed to analyse university provision with a mixed method approach including social network analysis, cluster analysis and desk analyses based on descriptive statistics. Findings: The comparative analysis outlined in the re…

Transformation of Agricultural Markets: Trends, Drivers, and Implications for SDG2

The objective of this text is to provide noneconomists with an analytical tool with which to understand some of the more important trends in the food system and to improve the interpretation of the complex and rapid changes to which this field is subject. The text will begin with a general description of the main characteristics of traditional agricultural markets and then examine modern agricultural markets and related issues, such as industrialization and globalization. Finally, the text will address some of the implications of recent events in global agricultural markets regarding food security and the goal of zero hunger.

THE MAIN EFFECTS OF GREEN HARVESTING ON THE SICILIAN WINE COOPERATIVES

In Sicily in the 2010-2012 period green harvesting is the most successful of the 9 measures provided by the Italian National Support Programme (NSP) for wine. Its main goal is to contribute to restoring the balance between supply and demand by destructing or removing grape bunches in their immature stage in order to prevent market crises. The paper firstly presents the main results of a "three-year" application of Green Harvesting measure to the Sicilian wine sector. Firstly the implementation of Green Harvesting Measure was examined at EU, national and regional level through the analysis of the available statistical data; at a later stage its effects on the Sicilian wine sector were invest…

The role of information and communication technologies and logistics organization in the economic performance of Sicilian fruit and vegetable enterprises

Through a direct survey conducted on a sample of firms operating in the Sicilian fruit and vegetable sector, the present study provides an empirical evidence on the degree of diffusion of ICTs as well as on relationships with the regional distribution system. To pursue this goal, a multiple regression analysis model was implemented to identify which factors affect more the economic results of fruit and vegetable enterprises. The main results of the analysis indicate that firms using specific software for accounting, warehousing, payment and sales orders and contracts, are more likely to obtain higher economic performances under the “coeteris paribus” condition, as well as firms which are eq…

Every great wine starts in grapevine nursery. Tendencies and perspectives of Sicilian grapevine nurseries

Grapevine nursery production, strictly-regulated by EU norms, represents the important first step in the wine production process, because it’s able to strongly influence both the quali-quantitative performance of farm investments and the type and the quality of wines, with consequences on profitability. The latest reform of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) for wine took effect on August the 1st 2008 and introduced, among many initiatives oriented towards enhancing the competitiveness of the wine sector, a new voluntary three-year grubbing-up scheme from the 2008/2009 season, achieving a balanced wine market, reducing surplus production and providing an alternative for uncompetitive prod…

Determinants of Italy's agri-food trade flows with the Mediterranean non-Eu partner countries

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the determinants of Italy’s agri-food exports in the markets of Mediterranean non-EU partner countries and, particularly, the impact of Agreement Association signed in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The Mediterranean Sea situated at the crossroad of three continents, the European, the Asian and the African one, has ever been of great strategic interest for several geo-economical powers and in particular of the European Union as one of its foreign policy main protagonists. Italy as a centred Mediterranean country which is sharing agri-food production with some Mediterranean partners could profit from the EU’s relationships with the partners of …

The quality of websites and their impact on economic performance: The case of nurseries and gardening companies in the Italian 'Mezzogiorno' regions

The aim of this paper is to examine the quality of websites and the entrepreneurial perception of the importance of the website to improve the business performance in nurseries and gardening companies adopting web-marketing strategies. On this purpose, the paper firstly analyses which structural features enable a potential website to be labelled as 'good'; the awareness of these aspects is pivotal to define effective web-marketing solutions. Secondly, it examines whether the plant nursery entrepreneurs perceive the company website as a tool of additional sales able to increase the firm turnover. The results show that the websites are well framed and with a well-groomed design, but lacking i…

LA PROGRAMMAZIONE DI SVILUPPO RURALE 2000-2006: IL MODELLO IN CHIAVE REGIONALE

L'olivicoltura in Sicilia

Survey on the innovation in the Sicilian grapevine nurseries

This paper deals with quality innovation in the grapevine nursery sector. The vegetative propagation of grapevines, scarcely considered by economic research, is the first step in the wine production chain as it influences both the type and the quality of wines as well as the quality and quantity of the performance of farm investments.This paper gives the results of a study carried out through a structural analysis of both national and regional grapevine nurseries and then through a direct survey of the largest Sicilian nurseries. The survey covers the main structural and productive issues as well as the commercial aspects of eight Sicilian grapevine nurseries and their innovative investment…

The land values trend in Sicily (1992-2010)

The present study aims to analyse the land market trend with particular reference to the main typologies of crop in Sicily (1992-2010). More specifically, after examining the trend in agricultural land average prices, both in current and constant terms, the dynamic formulation of Shift and Share Analysis (DSSA) was carried out, in order to check the growth gap between the average prices in the Sicilian provinces and the correspondent regional ones over the period, and trying to identify its causes also on the basis of the relationship between land values and the agro-food markets dynamics in the investigated period. The analysis of average land values shows a positive trend in current terms…

The contribution of geographical certification programs to farm income and rural economies: The case of Pecorino Siciliano PDO

This study attempts to measure the capacity of the EU geographical certification scheme to positively influence the price of certified products and the incomes of their producers. A comparison of the economic results of two cheese-producing dairy farm enterprises with different business strategies and locations within the Sicilian hinterlands is performed in order to determine the transformation value of each dairy’s sheep milk into pecorino cheese (with and without the Protected Designation of Origin, or PDO, certification) and the related joint products (ricotta). The economic convenience of the total transformation of sheep milk into Pecorino Siciliano PDO and ricotta is also appraised. …

Il commercio internazionale di tonno

L’analisi del commercio internazionale di tonno h previsto dapprima, l’analisi dell’evoluzione dei flussi commerciali mondiali, comunitari ed italiani di tonno e specie affini nel dodicennio 1994-2005 sulla base dei dati statistici resi disponibili dalla FAO. Successivamente, l’analisi ha riguardato la bilancia commerciale ittica nel suo complesso, la struttura degli scambi nazionali di prodotti ittici in generale e di tonno in particolare, i principali mercati di approvvigionamento e di sbocco del tonno.

Analisi tecnico-economica e del mercato del tonno rosso allevato in Sicilia

Agribusiness

The objective of this entry is to provide noneconomists with an analytical tool with which to understand various aspects of contemporary agriculture and food and fiber systems. The first part of the entry will provide an overview of the concept of agribusiness from its conception to current times. It will then present the main challenges facing the agribusiness system in the arena of recent global competition by illustrating key critical aspects, which are related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Particular reference will be made to SDG2 which focuses explicitly on food by seeking to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable…

Aspetti produttivi e commerciali del comparto floro-ornamentale in Sicilia

Application of a model for the evaluation of the “Visitor Satisfaction” in a nature reserve of South Italy

The protected natural area represents an important resource because from it sustainable and long-lasting social and economic development processes can start. In fact, the conservation of biodiversity can help create economic values by using natural capital which, if properly valorised, can help the momentum of local sustainable development and create diffuse welfare in terms of employment and income. To such a purpose, the evaluation both of the demand by those who enjoy the services of a protected area and of the level of satisfaction that visitors draw from their experience becomes a priority. The present study aims at investigating the behaviour and the preferences of the visitors to a p…

La gestione politica ed economica della pesca nel Canale di Sicilia

Land consolidation policies in sicily and their effects on its farmland

The paper deals with the legislative interventions in the field of land consolidation and their effects in improving the Sicilian land property structure. After a preliminary analysis of the legislative framework at national and regional level, a study on the structural evolution of the farming system in Italy and Sicily during the 1961-2010 period was carried out. In order to appreciate the actual impact and the relative efficacy of such interventions, data concerning the actions for land reorganization provided for by the Measure 4.11 contained in the 2000-2006 ROP for Sicily were analysed. On the basis of the data provided by the Regional Board for Agricultural and Food Resources, it has…

Cooperation in Rural Areas as a Local System Development Opportunity

The development of rural areas requires the adoption of technology innovation and market approach strategies without departing from the specific features of local production systems, such as agricultural practices and the wealth of knowledge of operators. It is even better the exploitation of these resources to characterize the competitive positioning of territorial systems. In this framework, the cooperative Rinascita, which works in an internal rural area of Sicily region (Southern Italy), represents an attempt to maintain agricultural activities, traditions and rural culture as well as to promote and contribute to the development of the area by giving value to and promoting, a typical lo…

Lo scenario economico dell'ortofrutticoltura in Sicilia. Un'indagine empirica sulle strategie organizzative e gestionali delle imprese

The fruit and vegetable industry has registered many transformations in recent years. Some of its determinants are the intensification of opening markets, the emergence of large-scale retail trade in distribution system, both domestic and international, the changes in agricultural policy. The horticultural sector has a great economic importance in Sicily, contributing significantly to the value added of the agro-food sector. The present study, funded by the Regional Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Mobility, arise from the recognition of this importance. It aims to outline the economic framework of the sector through the analysis of official statistics and an empirical investigat…

Approccio multicriteriale al caso studio

Analisi di efficacia e di efficienza della misura H "Imboschimento delle superfici agricole" del PSR Sicilia 2000-2006

‘Green’ Wine through a Responsible and Efficient Production: A Case Study of a Sustainable Sicilian Wine Producer

Abstract Sustainability is progressively gaining importance in the winegrowing sector. Implementing this concept implies environmental soundness, social equity and economic feasibility. A proliferation of initiatives to develop the sustainable production of wine started officially in Italy since the year 2010. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the reshaping of Sicilian winegrowing according to the ‘Triple bottom line’ approach to sustainability. By analyzing the case-study of the Tasca d’Almerita firm, pilot farm of various national projects in wine-sustainability, we found that adopting sustainable operative, organizational and competitive strategies has lead to a well-managed a…

Strumenti programmatici a sostegno dello sviluppo sostenibile del settore ittico: le misure del POR Sicilia 2000-2006

Nel presente lavoro si esaminano, innanzitutto, i riferimenti normativi e gli aspetti programmatici dei principali interventi contenuti nel POR Sicilia 2000-2006 e messi in atto dalla Regione. In particolare, viene svolta un’analisi critica dei testi programmatici (POR e CdP) e dei principali atti amministrativi connessi all’attuazione (bandi, graduatorie, ecc.), con particolare riferimento agli obiettivi ed alle strategie stabiliti dai primi ed agli strumenti per il loro conseguimento proposti dai secondi, al fine di verificare: - le strategie attuate dal decisore pubblico per indirizzare le scelte dei soggetti beneficiari a favore di uno sviluppo sostenibile del sistema ittico locale; - l…

The sicilian cooperative system of wine production: the strategic choices and performance analyses of a case study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to verify whether, besides the traditional organisational models mainly implemented by wine-making cooperatives, more modern and hybrid organisational forms can be profitably applied within an increasingly competitive wine market. Design/methodology/approach The study outlined in this paper deployed a mixed method. Specifically, an archived analysis, a survey and a descriptive case study (including visits, interviews and documentary analysis) were the methodological techniques used in this study, which were “in series but integrated” between themselves. In this paper, the landscape of Sicilian wine cooperatives is described by collating and processing d…

EU income stabilization tool: potential impacts, financial sustainability and farmer’s risk aversion

AbstractThe Income Stabilization Tool, a risk management scheme introduced within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014–2020, could help European Union farmers manage the income risks they face. This study assesses the potential impact of implementing this tool through the maximum level of contribution to the fund which determines an indifference to participate in the fund and its financial sustainability. The study relies on an expected utility approach and assesses the variability of loss ratios over time using a sample of Italian hazelnut farms as a case study. The participation depends on the level of farmers' contributions and their degree of risk aversion. However, the CAP public …

Recenti sviluppi del mercato comunitario e italiano del biodiesel. Primi risultati di un'indagine esplorativa in Italia

This paper presents an updated picture on the market of biodiesel in the EU and in Italy outlined by official statistics and a direct survey carried out involving Italian processing companies. The highly uncertain sectorial policy with low incentives, and the strong competition from imports are among the main reasons contributing to a new Italian energy dependence in terms of vegetable oils and biodiesel, given of the increasing annual quotas scheduled for input in consumption ofbiofuels. The future prospects of the sector are highly dependent on both legislative supporting measures and the ability of companies to diversify the supply.

Le politiche paesaggistiche ed ambientali in Sicilia: una valutazione intermedia della Misura H del PSR 2000-2006

Le misure agroambientali e forestali previste dalla programmazione 2000-2006, ma anche le precedenti misure di accompagnamento, da un lato promuovono forme di conduzione dei terreni agricoli compatibili con la tutela e con il miglioramento dell’ambiente e del paesaggio, dall’altro incentivano l’impianto di aree boscate, rappresentando un intervento pubblico di forte impatto sul paesaggio. In tale contesto, il presente lavoro ha inteso esaminare preliminarmente il quadro normativo regionale, definendo i principali interventi messi in atto dalla regione Sicilia per tutelare e salvaguardare il paesaggio rurale. Successivamente, è stato ricostruito il processo di sviluppo della misura H del PSR…

Behaviour of consumers of conventional and organic flowers and ornamental plants in Italy

The paper analyses preferences and motivations of Italian consumers of flowers and ornamental plants, both conventional and organic. The results helped to outline their profile. Purchases are still done in the traditional places (flower shops for cut flowers and plant nurseries for potted plants), however positive trend is found for potted plants purchases at large distribution chains. Some differences came out as to purchase motivations: cut flowers are mainly bought in special occasions whereas potted plants purchases are linked to personal use. The results confirm a positive relationship between the purchase of flowers and plants and the age of the interviewees, besides showing that wome…

Is Green Harvesting a Useful Instrument to solve Market Problems in the Wine Sector? Some Lessons from Sicily

The green harvesting (GH) policy measure has been introduced in Italy starting from the 2009/2010 wine season, with the goal of preventing market crises by reducing the yield of a given parcel to zero. In the 2010-2012 period, almost 85% of the national expenditure and about 81% of European Union (EU) expenditure for this measure have been showered on Sicily. This paper, after examining the application of GH in this Region, explores the motivations of 300 vine growers of Western Sicily for taking part, or refusing to do so, in the GH measure. The survey shows the contrasting nature of the opinions that the implementation of GH has caused among the interviewed sample. In fact, on the one han…