Alessio Cavicchi

Sustainability in the wine industry: key questions and research trends a

Sustainability is playing a key role in the wine industry as shown by the attention paid at several levels by the academia, institutions and associations. Nevertheless, the principle itself of sustainability opens a wide debate and it significantly affects firms in all their activities.Using a systematic literature review, this paper wants to highlight some of the questions that academics must face when they approach the issue of sustainability with a specific focus on the wine industry. In particular the paper aims to: highlight where research is going and what has already been done; define the contribution of background research in explaining the determinants of sustainable orientation in the wine industry; and understand the role of research (and academics’ social responsibility) for the diffusion of a sustainable orientation within the wine industry. The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed overview of the main research contributions to the issue of sustainability in the wine industry.

Trends in the British wine market and consumer confusion

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to give a descriptive outlook of the competitive environment in the UK wine market, and then to show the presence of “consumer confusion” elements in it.Design/methodology/approach – The consumer confusion concept has been considered as a framework in order to test the existence of the principal elements of consumer misunderstanding in the buying process. Data have been collected from secondary sources and through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews among a sample of 40 stakeholders of the wine supply chain in the UK.Findings – The main findings prove the existence of the essential characteristics that can generate a certain degree of consumer confusion, and the relative consciousness of key informants that some strategies need to be adopted to reduce it, although only a few have already been performed.Originality/value – This paper is probably the first work that tests the consumer confusion conditions through a qualitative analysis following the expectatio...

The adaptive change of the Italian Food Bank foundation: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the case of the Italian Food Bank Foundation, highlighting how ongoing global and European challenges are pushing the organization to adapt and change. The paper aims to identify the new role that the Italian Food Bank should play in response to these new challenges. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was developed. Data were collected through the combination of a survey and in depth interviews with people working for the organization. Findings – Although the Food Bank has done a lot to improve its delivery of food aid and to respond to changing needs, it appears that the organization has not pursued a clearly defined strategy, and thus it should adopt a strategic mindset. Originality/value – The paper provides details on the Italian Food Bank and the importance of adaptation to and management of change. Moreover this is the first attempt to describe the work of the Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus for an international readership.

Exploring consumer’s preferences for farmed sea bream

Sea bream (Sparus aurata) production plays a significant part in Italian aquaculture, contributing to almost 18% of national pisciculture sales revenue. In recent years, Italian firms faced higher competition from countries with lower production costs. This prompted responses toward both cost reduction and product differentiation. The objective of this study was to investigate the preferences of Italian consumers for sea bream from fish farms, with a focus on aspects of product differentiation as gleaned from the analysis of the market situation: price, product origin, type and place of fish farming, and, in particular, type of feed. Data were collected with a consumers’ survey using personal interviews conducted on a questionnaire that included a choice experiment. Consumer preferences were analyzed with choice models based on stated preference data. The models made it possible to evaluate the potential of products with different combinations of attributes for which there is currently no market information available. In particular, the country of origin emerged as an important element of consumer choice, and to a lesser degree, organic certification and fish farming in marine cages also play a relevant role and may command a price premium.

Perceived efficacy of sustainability strategies in the US, Italian, and Spanish wine industries

Purpose – This purpose of this investigation is to compare the perceptions of competitive advantage through cost leadership and differentiation with sustainable practices of wineries from the USA, Italy and Spain. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected via self-report web-based surveys in California, Tuscany and Catalonia in 2010-2011 during a severe economic downturn in the wine industry. Findings – Of the 260 respondents among the three country samples, over 75 per cent are family-owned and family-managed. Respondents indicate who has implemented a clear business case for an Environmental Management System (EMS) and who has not. Benefits and challenges of implementing sustainability practices are also addressed. Practical implications – A comparable percentage of respondents across the three countries indicated a “clear business case for EMS”. Wineries in all three countries perceive that they have competitive advantage through implementation of EMS and commitment to sustainable practices. Top...

Brunellopoli: a wine scandal under the Tuscan sun

The international success of Brunello wine has fostered economic growth in Montalcino, a small country village in Tuscany where Brunello is produced. In 2008, a scandal shocked the flourishing Montalcino wine-based economy when international press published rumors and news about fraudulent Brunello. This article focuses on the issue of crisis management in a local industry by exploring the dynamics of a wine scandal, the reactions of various people and organizations to press reports, and the potential impact of these press reports on tourism. Analysis of the data collected through indepth interviews with 12 key informants has shed light on the role that media can have on shaping tourists� expectations, depending on their degree of involvement and knowledge of wine. Some suggestions for practitioners are provided in order to increase the level of awareness of the consequences that poor crisis management can have on the whole economic system of a single product.

Food and gastronomy as elements of regional innovation strategies

The paper discusses recent innovation and diversification paths in agro-food, specifically the linkage between food, territory and branding, the emerging phenomenon of Food Cities and increasing interest in healthier and more sustainable food products. It also focuses on EU policies and instruments in support of R&I activities in agro-food and explores agro-food domain within the context of smart specialisation.

Mind the “academician-practitioner” gap: an experience-based model in the food and beverage sector:

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to introduce a research model inspired by the basic principles of experiential research and apply it to the food and beverage industry. Thinkers and doers often do not speak the same language: many scholars have pursued the goal of reducing the gap between academicians and practitioners by introducing new research models or adapting existing ones. Two case studies with wine and olive oil producers illustrate how the model works and highlight its applicability. Background literature is provided to support the model. Design/methodology/approach – In defining the model, we have followed several steps. First, we searched the literature to identify research needs and insights that might be useful in formulating the model. Second, we constructed a model following some procedural steps suggested in the literature. Third, we tested a model to verify its applicability and functionality. The paper is structured as follows: the first section explores the issue of academic–prac...

Preferred travel experiences of foodies: an application of photo elicitation.

A large-scale sample of food lovers accessed by an online survey, which followed a qualitative focus group study, employed the photo elicitation technique to investigate their preferences for travel experiences. This technique identified top choices both for food-related and other types of urban, nature-oriented and active recreational pursuits. Overall, the most popular experience sought was described as ‘enjoy regional cuisine in a local restaurant’ and depicted a couple dining informally with a waterfront backdrop. The photo conveyed the romantic, authentic and informal messages all at once. More detailed analysis revealed significant differences according to respondent country of residence and previous food-related travel. Specifically, the most experienced food tourists were the most likely to select food festivals and meeting/learning from chefs. Those who had travelled less for food experiences had more general, leisure-oriented preferences that included nature and heritage. Results have implications for precise targeting at food tourists; the packaging of experiences; and destination development, branding and promotion. A number of methodological and theoretical issues are discussed, including the issue of how photos communicate messages and their use in marketing.

Preserving the authenticity of food and wine festivals: the case of Italy

In the last ten years, the Academy has fostered the scientific debate over typical food products and their role in the development of rural communities and rural tourism. Background research define terroir as a harmonious bundle of territorial, climatic, historical and cultural characteristics which belong to a certain region. According to UNESCO, food and wine festivals are part of the intangible cultural heritage: during festivals product knowledge is spread among participants and local communities and local products become a powerful tool for disseminating the culture of a place. For many years in Italy there has been a growth in the number of food festivals: tourists in their journeys seek for authentic expression of local traditions and communities. Nevertheless, attracted by profits and by the availability of new demand, many actors have jumped into the business of culinary events and the outcome has been a proliferation of festivals who are not tied to the surrounding cultural heritage and offer products that do not originate from the area where events take place. This situation can damage seriously the territory by affecting its credibility, arming the carrying capacity, and by compromising the authentic tourism attractions and the exploitation of local economic resources by rural communities. This paper describes the recent case of the national agreement among public administrations, trade and hospitality associations and local farmers to develop some codes of practices to discipline the complexity of food and wine festivals, by adopting food safety principles and preserving environmental, historical and cultural authenticity. Secondo l’UNESCO, i festival enogastronomici fanno parte del patrimonio culturale intangibile: durante questi eventi, la conoscenza del prodotto viene diffusa tra i partecipanti e le comunita locali e cosi i prodotti locali diventano uno strumento importante per divulgare la cultura di un determinato luogo. Per molti anni in Italia c’e stata una crescita nel numero di festival enogastronomici e nuovi attori, attratti dai facili profitti, sono entrati nel settore. Il risultato e stato la proliferazione di festival tutt’altro che “autentici”, dove vengono offerti prodotti non originari del luogo in cui l’evento si tiene. Questa situazione puo danneggiare gravemente il territorio pregiudicandone la credibilita, alterandone la capacita di carico e compromettendo le attrazioni turistiche autentiche cosi come lo sfruttamento delle risorse locali da parte delle comunita rurali. Dopo aver introdotto il ruolo dei prodotti tipici (cibo e vino) nello sviluppo di un’esperienza turistica autentica, l’articolo descrive il recente caso dell’accordo nazionale tra pubbliche amministrazioni, associazioni del commercio e del turismo e organizzazioni di agricoltori per sviluppare alcune linee guida al fine di disciplinare la complessita dei festival enogastronomici, adottando rigidi principi di sicurezza alimentare e preservando l’autenticita culturale storica e ambientale dei luoghi.