1,721,002 research outputs found
Environmental Impacts and Societal Costs: Evidence from Italian Grapevines
No full textThe grapevine production is an important sector in Italy, where it represents around 10 % of the total production value of the Italian agricultural sector in 2021, exerting a pressure on the environment. In this context, this research aims to assess different grapevines production systems in terms of environmental im-pacts societal costs and economic performances, determining the most effective scenario of grapevines production.
Methods: In terms of environmental impacts assessment, we applied a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) approach in four different production systems according to the combination of wine typology and production method: Common-Organic (CO), Common-Conventional (CC), Quality-Organic (QO), Quality-Conventional (QC). In this line, we retrieved the data from the Italian Farm Accountancy Data network (FADN). Regarding the societal costs estimation per hectare for each production system, we used the Shadow Price (SP) Technique, converting the environmental impacts into monetary units.
Results: The results reveal that CO and QO induce relatively low societal costs towards the four most relevant indicator categories: agricultural land occupation, global change, terrestrial acidification, and freshwater eutrophication. Further, the conventional farmers (CC and QC), presents a higher cost compared to the or-ganic vineyards farming (CO and QO), mainly due to higher yields per hectare. Interpretation: Our findings reveal that there are good opportunities to reduce ex-ternal environmental costs by adopting the organic cultivation system. The sensi-tive analysis and consequent comparison on societal costs, gross production and sum of marginal values starting from baseline, also revealed the most suitable goals to be reached on a national scale integrating public and private scopes.
Conclusion: Assessing economic and societal performances is crucial for inform-ing policy decisions and fostering sustainable practices in vineyard farming. Sharing results with stakeholders can encourage farmers to achieve sustainability and cleaner production. Transitioning from conventional to organic grapevine, such as from low quality to higher quality production can enhance environmental sustainability Without compromising the economic goals of the businesses. Overall, viticulture farmers are urged to prioritize sustainable practices, consider-ing both environmental impacts and societal costs
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Understanding consumer preferences for potted plants: the role of phytosanitary diagnostics and eco-friendly cultivation practice
No full textThe production of Mediterranean plants in nurseries represents a frontier of innovation due to the emergence of destructive diseases, the impact of climate change, and the necessity for economic sustainability among producers. In this context, there is a crucial need for efficient plant disease diagnosis protocols, safe production processes, and sustainable multiplication techniques to effectively address these significant challenges.
Plant diagnosis (PD) is a scientific process that identifies the presence or absence of biotic stresses in plants, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes, insects, arachnids, and weeds. It involves detecting, identifying, and distinguishing these organisms at different taxonomic levels. Recently, the detection of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), a destructive bacterium affecting numerous plant species, has gained significant attention. Xf has caused substantial economic, social, and ecological damage in the Salento area of southern Italy (Cardone et al., 2022). The outbreak has negatively impacted the Apulian plant nursery business, leading to export restrictions and mandatory inspections in demarcated areas.
To address these challenges, novel plant diagnosis assays using serological and molecular tests have been developed by academic institutions, research centers, and testing laboratories. These assays are crucial for regulatory decisions, reestablishing pest-free areas, trade purposes, pest eradication strategies, pest risk analysis, and addressing consumers' concerns. Continuous monitoring of quarantine pests like Xf can benefit nursery entrepreneurs by influencing consumers' perceptions and purchase decisions.
Sustainable cultivation techniques (SCT) play a vital role in enhancing productivity, competitiveness, and promoting the commercialization of ornamental plants while reducing environmental impacts. Producers, including plant nurseries, are increasingly adopting sustainable production practices to meet consumers' concerns and gain a competitive advantage. Responsible consumption and consumers' preferences for environmentally friendly products also drive producers to adopt eco-friendly inputs and production methods (Grymshi et al., 2021). The use of bio-stimulators, such as auxins and seaweed extracts, aligns with sustainability goals by promoting balanced growth and root development in ornamental species.
Understanding consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sustainable cultivation techniques is crucial to achieve these goals. Previous research has explored consumer preferences for ornamental plants, focusing on attributes like physical appearance, local production, eco-friendly cultivation techniques, and price. However, limited research has investigated Italian consumers' preferences and estimated their WTP for specific attributes of ornamental plants.
In this context, a research project called "ProDiQuaVi" aims to transfer protocols for quarantine and harmful organisms and improve sanitary materials for the Apulian nursery sector. As part of this project, a study was conducted to investigate whether potted ornamental plants diagnosed and produced using sustainable cultivation techniques would command a price premium compared to conventional plants. A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) approach was employed (Train, 2000) to elicit consumers' preferences and WTP for labelling information about plant diagnosis and cultivation techniques.
The study focused on Italian consumers' behavior and WTP for labeling information and how it interacts with plant prices. It fills a literature gap by exploring plant diagnosis and sustainable cultivation attributes simultaneously using a DCE. The findings have implications for nursery growers and policymakers in planning production, marketing, and regulations related to plant health. This study enhances understanding of consumers' choice behavior for non-edible outdoor potted plants in Apulia, aiding nursery growers in marketing strategies and policymakers in communication and compliance with EU regulations. Econometric models, such as Latent Class Model, were used to analyze DCE data and interpret the results
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
UNDERSTANDING FARMER’S BEHAVIOUR ON AGRO-BIODIVERSITY: INTENTION TO ADOPT LANDRACES IN APULIAN FARMS
No full textAgrobiodiversity, as part of the total variability of life forms, represents the diversity of agricultural crop systems. Since the adoption of agrobiodiversity results in a flow of goods and services, the term "genetic resource" illustrates how biodiversity can determine value for food and agriculture. Yet, much of the cultivated genetic diversity has been lost in recent decades, accompanied by a severe loss of agricultural, historical, and cultural capital. Landraces have been preserved to this day thanks to farmers' conservation efforts, which have accompanied the exchange of propagating material and seeds, as well as information on traditions and cultivation techniques. The role of farmers is therefore fundamental to the conservation of genetic resources. This study aims to analyze farmers' willingness and intention to introduce agrobiodiversity in their farms. The factors affecting crop choice may have different dimensions: e.g. economic, social and environmental reasons. Therefore, the extension of a widely accepted theoretical framework to explain human behavior was adopted: the "Theory of Planned Behavior" (TPB). Attitudes, social norms, and perceptions of control, as the three determinants postulated by the TPB, were interacted with other factors such as prior knowledge of landraces, sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes toward various types of valorization processes. The results obtained using structural equation modeling (SEM) will allow to find the road to a more effective valorization for agrobiodiversity conservation that meets farmers' needs and views. The study contributes to identify the factors that can achieve the goals of biodiversity conservation in a more sustainable agriculture
Life Cycle Costing for blueberry cultivation in marginal Italian areas
No full textAgriculture in marginal areas undoubtedly presents significant challenges, but also offers opportunities for innovative and sustainable agricultural practices. A prime example is represented by berries, such as blueberries, which are particularly well adapted to these territories thanks to their low resource requirements and ability to thrive in different environmental conditions.
Globally, the berries sector is booming, with an annual growth rate of 8%, in Italy, the area cultivated with blueberries is around 1,600 hectares in 2024, compared to 1,200 ha hectares in 2020. Production has increased from less than 70,000 quintals per year in 2020 to more than 100,000 quintals in 2023 (ISTAT, 2024). Around 75% of production is exported, with particular attention to European markets and a growing interest in the local market, obtaining turnovers exceeding 100 million euros.
This phenomenon is fueled by growing consumer demand for functional and healthy foods, as well as by advances in production techniques, such as the use of high-yielding cultivars, precision agriculture and protected cultivation.
Investing in the cultivation of berries therefore represents an extraordinary opportunity for rural and marginal areas, allowing them to exploit available resources efficiently and at the same time contribute to the development of sustainable and resilient food systems.
The growing global demand for blueberries, thanks to their healthy properties, makes them a profitable crop even in less productive areas, where management costs can be lower. Blueberries are well suited to organic and integrated agriculture, often adopted in marginal areas where preserving the local ecosystem is a priority. Their cultivation can also help protect the soil from erosion and improve biodiversity and agroecology. Blueberry orchards help to enhance traditional production and unused local resources with a view to socio-economic and environmental sustainability.
The research aims to compare the profitability of blueberry cultivation, analyzing the differences between the organic and conventional method, and between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged areas. It uses data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), evaluating socio-economic indicators to identify the opportunities and challenges related to different production approaches and altimetric contexts. Subsequently, a stochastic frontier model will be applied to statistically demonstrate how marginality and organic certification can be considered elements of technical and consequently income inefficiency
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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