1,721,003 research outputs found
CAP payments and agricultural GHG emissions in Italy. A farm-level assessment
No full textThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is an important external driver of European agricultural production. Nowadays and in its envisioned future structure post-2020, the CAP has among its major objectives tackling climate change, for what concerns both adaptation and mitigation strategies. However, little is known about the link between past CAP reforms and agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This paper investigates the possible role played by the Fischler Reform (FR) on the agricultural GHG emissions at the farm level. The FR represents a major CAP reform for which data availability allows an ex-post analysis about its actual impacts. The empirical analysis concerns a balanced panel of 6542 Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network observed over years the 2003–2007. Multinomial Logit models are estimated in sequence to express how the farm-level production choices, and the respective emissions, vary over time also in response to CAP expenditure. Results suggest that CAP expenditure had a role in the evolution of the farm-level emissions, though the direction of this effect may differ across farms and deserves further investigation
The impact of climate change on land productivity. A micro-level assessment for Italian farms
No full textCONTEXT: Both long-term climate trend and interannual climate variability are projected to affect agricultural activities. Actually, major changes in climate patterns have already occurred, affecting crop yields and livestock productivity. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the effects of both interannual temperature and precipitation variability and long-term climate trend on the land productivity of Italian farms. Italy represents an interesting example, as the country is largely affected by the effects of climate change and climate variability, and its agricultural sector shows heterogeneous conditions, including climatic, topographical and socio-economic features. METHODS: The methodological approach considers the effects on land productivity of a set of farm structural and economic characteristics and climate-related variables, by considering farm-level data. A dynamic panel model is estimated via System Generalized Method-of-Moments using a constant panel of 2051 farms observed..
Consumer behaviour in Italy. Who spends more to buy Mediterranean diet?
No full textMediterranean diet is a term used to describe the traditional eating habits of people
around the Mediterranean and that refers to a healthy eating model, with significant
nutrition and health benefits. However, many studies have emphasised an
increasing erosion of the Mediterranean diet heritage, also in Italy. Starting from
the assumption that evolution of human nutrition, if it occurs rapidly, can only be
conceptualised as a social phenomenon, this study intends to explore the relationship
between purchase behaviour for typical Mediterranean diet food and some socioeconomic
and geographic characteristics of the Italian households.
Italy’s food purchase microdata in 2013 were used to describe three different purchasing
behaviours among households and a multinomial logit model was applied to
model nominal outcome variables in relationship with socioeconomic variables. Results
suggest that families with older and more educated respondents have a higher
probability to purchase Mediterranean diet food, while spending more on out-of-home
eating or living far away from an urban area, seems to reduce this probability
The territorial dimension of environmental sustainability in Italy along the urban–rural continuum
No full textSingle territories contribute in different ways to the transition towards a more environmentally sustainable development (SD), according to their structural features. This study returns a multi-dimensional picture of the territorial divides of environmental sustainability across Italy, analysing how it correlates with rurality, with a focus on the urban–rural continuum. Italy represents an interesting case study because of its peculiar territorial urban–rural structure. We first assess the environmental sustainability targets across Italian NUTS 3 regions and their capital cities using two composite sustainability indexes, by referring to both standard values (i.e. conforming to legislation) and optimum values (i.e. desired values). Then, we investigate the relationship between environmental sustainability and rurality. Results suggest that a positive link between the two exists, being stronger at city level. Among major policy implications, the environmental dimensions of territorial cohesion should be integrated more strongly in key European policies to reach a more balanced SD
Is There a Long-Term Relationship Between Agricultural GHG Emissions and Productivity Growth? A Dynamic Panel Data Approach
No full textThe paper adopts a single-country regional panel dataset to analyse the long-term relationship between agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and productivity growth and, consequently, to assess emissions sustainability. The hypothesis of emission sustainability is assessed by estimating alternative panel model specifications with conventional and GMM estimators applied to the highly heterogeneous Italian regional agriculture, whose methane and nitrous oxide emissions are properly reconstructed for the periods 1951-2008 and 1980-2008. The modelling approach and the empirical specification include the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) as one of the possible outcomes. Results suggest that, when a significant relationship between agricultural GHG emissions and productivity growth occurs, it is often monotonic and, though sustainability is accepted for some GHG, no univocal robust evidence of the EKC emerges across the different specifications, estimators and periods. Policy implications of this empirical evidence are finally drawn. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
The impacts of environmental and climate targets on agriculture: Policy options in Italy
No full textThis study is aimed at proposing a model to assess the economic private costs for farms deriving from the
implementation of some of the environmental targets set by the European Farm to Fork strategy and the
objective of a carbon-neutral agricultural sector, by also evaluating the synergies and trade-offs between
environmental objectives. An agro-economic supply model, based on mathematical programming and
microdata from the Farm Accountancy Data Network, is used. The model is applied to Italian agriculture
as a case study. Results show losses in added value, higher level of resource efficiency and synergies
among different targets. Policy implications include exploiting the synergies and accompanying the
transition with measures aimed at compensating the most impacted sectors
Agriculture and climate-friendly development: Global perspectives of financing
No full textAs the relationships among physical, economic and social elements concerning agriculture and climate change are very complex, the strategies to address this issue must be accompanied by an integrated approach to development, mitigation and adaptation policies. This approach can be defined as "climate compatible development", a strategy that minimizes the harm caused by climate impacts, while maximizing the many human development opportunities presented by a low emissions and more resilient future. However, financial flows for climate compatible development, are too weak, despite flows of climate finance to developing countries represent the principal way to reconcile equity with effectiveness and efficiency in dealing with the climate problem. The future of climate finance include both the creation of new funding sources and the improvement and upgrading of existing ones, but are based on the recognition of the sector's role in mitigating and its unique vulnerability to climate change. Copyright © FrancoAngeli
The productivity and environment nexus through farm-level data. The case of carbon footprint applied to Italian FADN farms
No full textThe most fundamental challenge faced by European agriculture in the early 21st century is
how to increase production in order to respond to the significant growth in global food demand
while preserving natural resources and the environment. Thus, the productivity and environment
nexus of farms is particularly relevant, also in a policy perspective.
The central empirical question addressed by this paper is to assess whether, and by how
much, productivity and environmental performance affect each other in the presence of farm
heterogeneity. To examine these implications empirically, we have assembled a uniquely detailed
dataset of Lombardy FADN farms observed over the period from 2008 to 2013 that merges FADN
information on farm structure and economic performance, a productivity index and an
environmental indicator, both properly reconstructed at farm level.
We firstly calculate a farm-level total factor productivity index and then estimate a farmlevel
greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions intensity indicator. The use of micro data to obtain farmspecific
parameters is one of the novelty of the approach that can allow better capturing the actual
heterogeneity of farms in production and environmental efficiency. We then investigate the nexus
of this productivity index with emission intensity on a farm-by-farm basis.
Results are not only informative on the nexus between TFP and GHG emissions, but could
be also used to gain insights in the direction of obtaining a unique indicator of the joint economic
and environmental performances of farms: i.e. an Environmentally-Adjusted TFP
Approaches for reducing wastes in the agricultural sector. An analysis of Millennials’ willingness to buy food with upcycled ingredients
Full text linkUpcycled ingredients are one of the most significant current trends in the food industry aimed to tackle the challenge of solid food loss reduction. This study investigates the potential market among Millennial consumers for products enriched with upcycled ingredients in Italy. We surveyed a sample of 317 Italian Millennial consumers, using a web-based survey. 62% of respondents declared to be informed about the existence of food made from upcycled ingredients and 53% declared to be willing to buy this novel food. Also, 69% of respondents think that food enriched with upcycled ingredients can bring environmental benefits, while only 40% believe that it can bring health benefits. Using a logit model to analyse consumer preferences, we found that food neophobia and food technology neophobia negatively impact on the likelihood of being willing to buy food produced with upcycled ingredients. Also, consumers who give high importance to food certification are less likely to be willing to buy upcycled foods. Contrariwise, reading labels and believing that upcycled foods are healthier or more environmentally friendly positively impacts on the willingness of Millennial consumers to buy these foods. Results for the sample analysed eventually suggest that giving right information to consumers about the environmental and health characteristics of the products, through clear labelling, could increase their market uptake thus helping to reduce food loss and contributing to reaching circular economy objectives in the agricultural sector
- …
