1,721,059 research outputs found
Local economies and consumer participation: the organic food fairs
Full text linkNew consumption habits stand out against the idea of a rational consumer, which is aimed at maximizing utility according to budget constraint. Presently, people have the tendency to behave differently according to various purchase opportunities; a significant role is played by both ethical sides and selfless motivations. These new trends fall within the context of a new social paradigm that foresees postmodern society’s rise. Consumers have the tendency to use the market as an arena in which political, ethical and environmental issues may arise, starting a new trend of an alternative consumption called “political consumerism”. In this paper we’ll try to understand how new consumption habits mirror features of postmodern society, starting with research work on specialized fairs of organic food in Sicily
Opening the black box of food quality in the short supply chain: Effects of conventions of quality on consumer choice
No full textIn recent years new forms of food distribution organisation, known as short supply chains, have gained ground. The local nature of such distribution has positive effects on the environment and on the local economy. Consumers appear to trust the short supply chain, and it has achieved considerable success. However, the short supply chain has credence characteristics which, by their very nature, cannot be identified through a system of certification. The question we address in this paper is whether it is possible to identify the constituent elements of the credence trait in relation to food quality in the short supply chain. Our hypothesis is that the latter are linked to a range of socially constructed food quality criteria. To develop a more inclusive vision of how such criteria are coordinated in food quality assessment by consumers, use has been made of convention theory. In accordance with convention theory, quality is identified, in a social context and informally, as one of the spheres in which economic activity is regulated by procedures which go beyond regulation by price. The aim of our study was to measure the effects of coordinated conventions of quality in the context of one type of short supply chain: farmers’ markets specialised in the sale of organic products. An ordered logit model was implemented. Our results allow credence characteristics to be classified within conventions of quality and could help support strategies aimed at spreading sustainable forms of food distribution and consumption. Future research might go to the direction of validating our results based on a single form of supply organisation. Moreover, additional efforts should be made understanding the effect of situational factors on socio-demographic variables such as gender. Finally, an attempt should be made to merge different theories to better understand the issue of consumer choice
Hedonic pricing applied to wine from an Italian grape variaty
No full textConsumers face complex choices when buying wine, a highly differentiated product sold at widely
varying prices. This paper aims to provide a monetary valuation of some key credence attributes
of wine, such as certifications and quality ratings made by expert tasters. The implicit price
of DOC-DOCG certification is of extreme importance. It gives access to a collective reputation and
enables a premium price to be captured from consumers. With this in mind, hedonic price estimation
was performed on a specific Italian grape variety (Aglianico)
Consumers in Postmodern Society and Alternative Food Networks: The Organic Food Fairs Case in Sicily
No full textNew consumption habits stand out against the idea of a rational consumer, which is aimed at maximizing utility according to budget constraint. Presently, people have the tendency to behave differently according to various purchase opportunities; a significant role is played by both ethical sides and selfless motivations.
These new trends fall within the context of a new social paradigm that foresees postmodern society’s rise. Consumers have the tendency to use the market as an arena in which political, ethical and environmental issues may arise, starting a new trend of an alternative consumption called “political consumerism”.
In this paper we’ll try to understand how new consumption habits mirror features of postmodern society, starting with research work on specialized fairs of organic food in Sicily
All that glitters is not gold: the impact of the Nutri-score label on food with geographical indication
Full text linkThe European Union is discussing the introduction of a mandatory front-of-pack label to address the rise in nutrition-related diseases. The Nutri-Score (NS) is the most supported candidate in the EU, despite some controversies exist. Specifically, the policy behind the NS system (i.e., the Farm to Fork Strategy-F2F) appears to conflict with the geographical indication (GI) policy, as the same products (GIs) are promoted for their superior quality by the GI policy and frequently classified as products to be avoided by the NS system. Moreover, the NS system, by encouraging the food industry to reformulate products to improve their nutritional quality, places the GIs in a disadvantageous position, due to their strict product specification. To explore the interactions between these two policies, this paper assesses the effect of the NS on retail prices of both GI and non-GI products in the French market, where this system is widely used. A hedonic price analysis was conducted on 254 raw hams (score D or E) through the estimation of a quantile regression model. Results highlight that the presence of the NS decreases the retail price of raw hams, limited to the high-priced segments. Interestingly, the negative effect is consistent for both GI and non-GI hams, suggesting that the GI label does not mitigate the impact of the NS
Three propositions to unify circular economy research: A review
No full textTransitioning into a circular economy (CE) has been recently proposed as an agenda for reconciling global industrial systems with natural equilibria, but the current understanding of CE is ambiguous among scholars. Informed by recent growing CE literature, this study summarizes through three key propositions a set of indisputable insights emerging from the CE debate. In particular, the paper: remarks how CE takes stock of concepts of other schools of thought to drive policy interventions; depicts CE as a systemic transition of global industrial systems; and highlights the role of eco-effectiveness to upgrade business-centered approaches to sustainability. The proposed propositions are expected to contribute to reducing ambiguities in the CE debate and to convey coherence to future research
Reaping the benefits of microorganisms in cropping systems: Is the regulatory policy adequate?
Full text linkWithin food plant cropping systems, microorganisms provide vital functions and ecosystem services, such as biological pest and disease control, promotion of plant growth and crop quality, and biodegradation of organic matter and pollutants. The beneficial effects of microorganisms can be achieved and/or enhanced by agricultural management measures that target the resident microbial biodiversity or by augmentation with domesticated and propagated microbial strains. This study presents a critical review of the current legislation and regulatory policies pertaining to the utilization of plant-beneficial microorganisms in the European Union (EU). For augmentative approaches, the nature of the intended effect and the product claim determine how a microbiological product is categorized and regulated, and pre-market authorization may be mandatory. Typically, microbial products have been incorporated into frameworks that were designed for evaluating non-living substances, and are therefore not well suited to the specific properties of live microorganisms. We suggest that regulatory harmonization across the sector could stimulate technical development and facilitate implementation of crop management methods employing microorganisms. Possible scenarios for regulatory reform in the longer term are discussed, but more investigation into their feasibility is needed. The findings of this study should serve as a catalyst for more efficient future use of plant-beneficial microorganisms, to the benefit of agriculture as well as the environment
Latte bufalino, un mercato da costruire. Un’analisi tecnico-economica sull'allevamento biologico della bufala in Campania
No full textConsumers’ acceptance of fungus resistant grapes: Future scenarios in sustainable winemaking
No full textDuring the last 20 years, sustainability has become an important issue in the wine sector. The increase of producers' awareness and consumers' interest has prompted the emergence of wines labeled as organic, biodynamic or natural. The current letter aims to stimulate future research dealing with consumers' acceptance and interest towards wine with sustainability characteristics to focus on fungus resistant grape (FRG) varieties, that we consider a potential pivotal innovation for the future of the wine industry. Particularly, we expect consumer research to address the complexity behind future consumers’ acceptance of FRG, taking also into account insights emerged from our conceptual model
Erratum: 'On the segregation of genetically modified, conventional and organic products in european agriculture: A multi-market equilibrium analysis' (Journal of Agricultural (2005) vol. 56 (3) (347-372))
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