Maria Crescimanno

The production and marketing of organic wine in Sicily

This paper aims at a better knowledge of the organic wine sector in Sicily. In the last few years regulations 2078/92 and 2092/91 have had a wide diffusion in the agricultural regional context; a rapid increase of areas and farms justify the attention paid by the European union policies. Two aspects of the sector have been examined: the influence on the implementation of Reg. 2078/92 with regard to diffusion of the organic wine sector in Sicily; and a group of farms in the west of Sicily have been analysed to verify the scenario of organic wine, and the strategy used in the commercialization of organic production. The results show a very interesting framework for organic wine. This is a sector in the process of major expansion, especially with regard to the trade profile, mainly because of increasing demand from markets abroad.

Agricultural land abandonment in Mediterranean environment provides ecosystem services via soil carbon sequestration

Abandonment of agricultural land leads to several consequences for ecosystem functions. Agricultural abandonment may be a significant and low cost strategy for carbon sequestration and mitigation of anthropogenic CO2 emissions due to the vegetation recovery and increase in soil organic matter. The aim of this study was to: (i) estimate the influence of different Soil Regions (areas characterized by a typical climate and parent material association) and Bioclimates (zones with homogeneous climatic regions and thermotype indices) on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics after agricultural land abandonment; and (ii) to analyse the efficiency of the agri-environment policy (agri-environment measures) suggested by the European Commission in relation to potential SOC stock ability in the Sicilian Region (Italy). In order to quantify the effects of agricultural abandonment on SOC, a dataset with original data that was sampled in Sicily and existing data from the literature were analysed according to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) methodology. Results showed that abandonment of cropland soils increased SOC stock by 9.03MgCha-1 on average, ranging from 5.4MgCha-1 to 26.7MgCha-1 in relation to the Soil Region and Bioclimate. The estimation of SOC change after agricultural use permitted calculation of the payments for ecosystem service (PES) of C sequestration after agricultural land abandonment in relation to environmental benefits, increasing in this way the efficiency of PES. Considering the 14,337ha of abandoned lands in Sicily, the CO2 emission as a whole was reduced by 887,745Mg CO2. Therefore, it could be concluded that abandoned agricultural fields represents a valid opportunity to mitigate agriculture sector emissions in Sicily.

Production and trade marketing policies regarding organic olive oil in Sicily

This research analyses the main structural factors of the organic olive oil sector in Sicily, and the effects of the European sustainable development policy (EEC Regulation 2092/91, EEC Regulation 2078/92). It examines the trade marketing of organic producers of olive oil like the initiatives to exploit European branding, typicalness, and European recognition of PDO (protected denomination of origin).

The Cereal Market and the Role of Fermentation in Cereal-Based Food Production in Africa

Cereals represent the main crop in Africa (45% of arable land) and make an important contribution to the human diet in this continent. Cereals for humans are not consumed raw. Fermentation technology is widely used in Africa to transform cereals into edible products as well as to preserve and enhance the nutritional and safety aspects of cereals. In general, in Africa, this process is not controlled and is devoid of good manufacturing practices (GMPs). Spoilage and/or pathogenic microorganisms may compromise the final quality when the fermentation is not controlled. This article focuses on the role that the fermentation process could play in creating safe food conditions in Africa. Taking into account the increasing demand for cereals, in particular maize and rice, which contain undesired microorganisms, fermentation can play an important role in creating food security and safety. Here, the authors report a detailed analysis of the cereal market, the main transformation processes used to obtain a variety of products from cereals, the most current information on the microbial ecology of the most important traditional fermented cereals, and the safety aspects of and the technological parameters for the selection of the strains to be used as starters for African cereal-based fermented products.

Quality attributes of cactus pear fruit and their role in consumer choice: The case of Italian consumers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to detect what experience and credence quality attributes contribute to the consumer decision to consume cactus pear fruit. The authors therefore try to measure the effect of each quality attribute on consumer choice. Design/methodology/approach – As a theoretical basis, two principal quality attributes emphasised in the literature on consumer behaviour were analysed and adjusted to the specific fruit features. The empirical strategy was carried out by administering a telephone questionnaire survey of 270 interviewees who consume cactus pears in Italy. The questionnaire, consisting of 14 items expressed on a metric scale (five-point Likert scale), was used to rate the importance of cactus pear fruit quality attributes. An ordered logit model was employed for data analysis. Findings – The results show that consumption of cactus pear fruit is mainly based on credence and experience attributes, which have different effects on the consumer decision to consume cactus pear...

The premium price for Italian red wines in new world wine consuming countries: the case of the Russian market

ABSTRACT Italian wine is increasingly appreciated in new world consumer countries and, in particular, in Russia where consumers associate its consumption with an Italian lifestyle. In this paper, market value for wine search attributes is measured through the estimation of a hedonic price model using online data from a Wine Searcher website and the information contained in the labels of wines marketed in Russia. Results show a premium price for wines from Piedmont and Tuscany, and in particular for non-native varieties and for Indicazione Geografica Tipica and Protected Geographical Indication wines. Additionally, vintage and higher alcohol content have a significant positive impact on the prices that consumers are willing to pay for wines. The knowledge of the implicit price of wine quality attributes has important implication for producers to aid in the adoption of effective marketing strategies, and for decision-makers for the adoption of effective measures to improve regional competitiveness in the world market.

Competitiveness of short sea shipping: the case of olive oil industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the economic benefits of short sea shipping (SSS) in the shape of Motorways of the Sea (MoS) compared to road transport. The study cover a gap in agro-food economics and analyses the economic benefits of sea transport mode compared to road transport in the food trade between Spain and Italy for a specific product: olive oils. Design/methodology/approach – Three different transportation scenarios are considered (road only, road combined with accompanied SSS and road combined with unaccompanied SSS) linking the main olive oil production and consumption areas in Spain and Italy. In each scenario the cost per unit shipped have been calculated. Findings – The results show the road option is about 30 and 34 per cent more costly than the best SSS option available for the exportations from Jaen and Southern Catalonia, respectively. Research limitations/implications – The need of further research is identified, mainly focused in two directions: first, the need for ...

Intensity of Italy’s agri-food trade with countries outside the EU Mediterranean

This paper aims to present a framework of trade relations between Italy and the countries of southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. More specifically, using the indicators proposed in the analysis of international trade, we want to analyse the intensity of trade in agri-food products and the strength of trade ties between the bordering Mediterranean countries. The analysis of the intensity of trade flows of food products from Italy and the partner countries of North Africa and the Near East has allowed us to trace a network of flows between the countries in the area. If we can see an overall weakening of the agri-food trade, the analysis for individual partner states, however, shows a strengthening of ties with Turkey, Tunisia and Croatia, which are among the most important trading partners, but also with Egypt, in the face instead of a detriment intensity of agri-food trade with Morocco and Algeria.

Italian red wine in the Japanese market: a hedonic price analysis

This study applies the hedonic pricing model to examine important objective attributes appearing on the label of Italian wines influencing average customer wine prices in Japan. Data on 829 red Italian wines sold in the Japanese market were collected through the wine searcher dataset, and the information included on the wine labels, useful for assisting in the selection and appreciation of wines, has been included. A log-linear model was esteemed and the proposed hedonic equation accounted for 43.5% of the variation in wine prices. The results indicate that international grape varieties, alcohol content and the year of production explain most of the price difference. On the other hand, the appellations of origin linked to specific Italian territories negatively affect the medium price of wine. The proposed model will provide useful information for export-oriented Italian wineries in order to establish effective marketing strategies.

Website quality and internal business factors: An empirical investigation in the Italian wine industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is dual. The first is to assess the quality of websites of Italian wineries, using the Web Assessment Index (WAI), and compare e-commerce and e-marketing websites. The second is to verify the existence of a relationship between the website quality and business revenue, on one hand, and the characteristics of managers, on the other. Design/methodology/approach A two-step survey was carried out to respond to the aims of the study. First, a sample of wineries was contacted to capture information on both the wineries and managerial characteristics. On the basis of the observed data, a second step of the analysis was performed taking into consideration 84 wineries having a website. The website quality has been evaluated by WAI, and afterwards, it has been related to the internal business factors previously identified. Findings Findings show that the website quality is higher in e-commerce websites than in e-marketing websites, and that business revenue and the education level of managers have a positive influence on the websites’ quality. Research limitations/implications The results of the study need to be interpreted within the context for which this research was designed and cannot be applied generally to all businesses. Practical implications Findings have some theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical point of view, this study validates the WAI model in the wine sector. From a managerial perspective, results are useful both for wineries creating an online presence for the first time, and for those already existing which, and for system designers of websites. Originality/value Very few empirical studies have been conducted on the relationship between website quality, business performance and managerial characteristics.