1,720,980 research outputs found
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
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
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
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
Consumption behavior and willingness-to-pay for sustainable agri-food products tracked with Blockchain technology
No full textThe growing footprint of the food sector on the Italian economy has led to an increase in food fraud by some producers. As a result, the consumer has developed a suspicious attitude towards some food companies, so that he increasingly projects his interests towards companies that offer safe, authentic, and sustainable agri-food products. In this context, there has been the implementation of innovative technologies within agri-food value chains, such as the Blockchain (BC) in recent years. This promises to be a great innovation model in terms of traceability as it makes the flow of information that characterizes the supply chain safe and transparent, preventing the problem of fraud. As such, two questions merit attention: are Italian consumers aware of the benefits of this innovative technology? Are they inclined to buy agri-food products tracked with the Blockchain
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
Sustainable development and biodiversity protection in rural areas: a participatory approach to support policy-makers
No full textThe European Union prioritizes biodiversity management, evident in the European Green Deal Agenda and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which aims for green growth and conservation. However, issues like land-use changes and climate change persist. As defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity, sustainable hunting mixes biodiversity conservation and social aspects. In Europe, hunting management varies by country. Specifically, in Italy, it operates at national, regional, and local levels. Despite some standardization efforts, local plans need more participatory approaches, risking misalignment with scientific guidance. This study proposes a participatory strategy for crafting regional wildlife hunting plans, focusing on Apulia, Italy. Backcasting and content analysis methods were used, involving experts and stakeholders. SWOT analysis revealed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Inconsistencies and the need for participatory policymaking were evident, underlining the importance of inclusive approaches for effective biodiversity management
Exploring the competitiveness and sustainability of blueberry cultivation in marginal Italianareas
No full textMarginal agriculture presents both challenges and opportunities for sustainable agriculture, particularly in blueberry(Vaccinium myrtillus L.) cultivation. This study explores the potential of blueberry cultivation in Italy, whereconsumption has increased by 156.3% in volume and 206.6% in value since 2017. The area dedicated to blueberrycultivation has increased from 1,200 ha in 2020 to 1,500 ha in 2023, with production increasing from less than 7,000tonnes to over 10,000 tonnes per year. Despite a competitive global market and increased production from countriessuch as Peru and Spain, Italian blueberry export values have grown, driven by growing global demand for functionalfoods and improved production techniques, including high-yielding cultivars and precision agriculture. Around 75% ofItalian production is exported, generating over 100 million euros in revenue. However, growing imports highlight agap in domestic supply. Blueberry cultivation supports ecosystem conservation, prevents soil erosion, and enhancesbiodiversity, making it suitable for marginal areas. This research compares the profitability of organic blueberrycultivation versus conventional cultivation and assesses socioeconomic sustainability in marginal versus non-marginal areas using data from the Italian Agricultural Accounting Network (RICA). The findings aim to informstrategies that balance competitiveness and sustainability in the Italian blueberry sector
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
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