This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of household food waste by analysing Italian consumer behaviour. Specifically, the study tried to find the determining factors of household food waste and the main consumer motivations that may lead to reduction of food waste. In order to reach this goal, an online survey was carried out through a web-based questionnaire. Data analysis were conducted in the following steps: (1) a descriptive statistical analysis for illustrating the sample; (2) a correlation analysis followed by principal component analysis (PCA). Results show that consumers are aware of the environmental and economic impacts of food waste, although waste continues to occur at household level. The authors suggest that interventions should be taken to influence consumers’ choices related to purchasing and consuming food, such as changing their planning and shopping routines. For policy makers and social marketers, the results implicate the crucial importance of avoiding food-related habits in consumers’ lives.

The rural development policies of the European Union for 2014-2020 aim at contributing to the achievement of smart growth in agriculture and multifunctional farming (Sandu, 2014; Scuderi et al., 2014). The importance of multifunctional activities is remarkably evidenced by the significant changes provided by the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Local Action Groups (LAGs) are local agencies that process the Measures of Local Development Programme and manage financial funds for Firms Modernization Plans; the latter is a farms tool aimed at supporting the LAG in requesting process for public aid. In fact, the beneficiaries of the measures of Axis III can participate in the public tenders only by means of a LAG. Focusing on Measure 311 Axis III, it aims at diversification into non-traditional agricultural activities in order to support farm businesses that restructure and diversify activities for providing alternative income sources. We take in account such a case study the Apulia Region - in South Italy - where 25 LAGs cover the entire region: performing integrated statistical data analysis the paper aims at evaluating the effective positive influence of FMPs on farms differentiating their activities in non-traditional agricultural. Finally, our research questions is how and if the implementation of the Firms Modernization Plans can improve economic assets and modernization and growth process in rural areas. Also, this paper provides suggestions for bottom-up policy implications deriving by the LAGs local strategies supporting stakeholder networking.

Food issues as increased prices and prices volatility, resources scarcity and climate change, are more and more emerging in today’s fast moving global marketplace. In this scenario, understanding the dynamics of the agri-food chain is a crucial driver in order to tackle rapid and fast-spreading challenges related to the food products and their knowledge. Moreover, an increasing distance between production and consumption determined the need of acquiring knowledge and others determinants on food products. Nevertheless it is important to underline the relation between food ethics and innovation process (new technologies to production or management practices) whether the latter helps and boosts the development of the agri-food supply chain. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the link between food and ethics under several perspectives in the supply chain in order to understand how ethical issues may be traced to the analysis the agri-food supply chain and how innovative food processes assess potential effects on the agri-food stakeholders. Agricultural ethics was being envisioned as an interdisciplinary sub-discipline that nowadays should become a significant basis to analyze norms and values being implicitly assumed by agricultural researchers, practitioners and policy makers assessing ethical and societal values equal to the economic concerns of production and consumption (Thompson, 2014; Thompson et al., 1991; Navin, 2014). Several works and policies are on the role of ethics including health, quality, trust, environmental welfare aspects in influencing consumer behavior (Grunert, 2005; Krystallis et al., 2012; OECD, 2008; Young et al., 2010). Making use of a qualitative survey administrated to main actors involved in a supply chain the ethics approach is analyzed in food choices along the agri-food supply, whether consumer rely on trust and labeling practices, or whether producer foster the participation in innovation process and spread knowledge along the chain. Results corroborate the importance to build a fair and healthy food system for people and the environment. The paper is structured as follows: after a literature review on food and ethics, the present situation is described, especially ethical aspects, of the supply chain of wine in Apulia region in Southern Italy. Then, methodology is presented; an exploratory survey is carried out on two main steps of a supply chain: producers and consumers. Findings highlight that consumers choices are affected by some ethical motivation and also that wine producers increasingly shifted attention on sustainable practices and innovative methods to meet ethical issues. Finally conclusions are drawn.

In the last decades, the offer of animal products is more and more increasing especially in developing countries due to growing food demand and needs. The activities of the livestock sector impact on climate change with several emissions in particular, Methane (44%), Carbon dioxide (27%) and Nitrous oxide (29%). Cattle emits the highest, about 65% of the livestock production emissions; indeed feed processing and production and enteric fermentation from ruminants are the two major sources of emissions, contributing to 45% and 39% of total emissions respectively. On product-basis, milk from cows and beef are in charge to emit the most emissions. Cattle-farming for dairy and beef production is one of the main most important agricultural activities in Italy. The link between cattle emissions and economic performance is the issue that here has been addressed at the light of the societal challenge increasingly based upon bio-based economies. There are few studies regarding the GHG emissions associated with the cattle production and economic performances. Therefore, the objective of this study is to classify the cattle farm emissions respect to the economic performance variables of Italian cattle farming sector and to classify segment of firms in clusters: for these aims a CHAID decision-tree algorithm and a two-stage method of clustering was carried out. Decisional trees and cluster analysis highlight the significative links between farm emission and profitable variables. Results show the GHG emissions increase with the increase of the production amount, only if the firm handling is not efficient: indeed virtuous cattle farms present a regimented and planned resources management allowing low GHG emissions. This analysis can shed some light on the efforts for reducing GHG emissions deriving from cattle farming, and so following bio-economy pathways to actually equitable, sustainable, post fossil carbon societies.

The introduction of the Integrated Projects for the Food Chain (IPFs) requires the development of models capable of interpreting the dynamics of vertical and horizontal coordination between agents and the definition of the issues that most affect the ability of professionals to provide value added to goods and products to acquire in exchange a competitive advantage. With reference to the Basilicata region, the production structure of the region and the recent development of the Integrated Projects for the Food Chain, this research has developed a new model of territorial organization of rural development. To connect a new food chain model that combines theories of productivity, typical of contract economics, with those of social welfare and environmental economics can be crucial: multifunctionality could assume the key role related to the needs of income and efficiency of companies in various stages of the classic food chain, in a context in which planning and consultation are major determinants of local and regional development.

Purpose: Healthy and safety food issues are more and more the purchasing process core of conscious consumer. “Type 1” wheat flour means higher protein and ash content. This paper aims at investigating the attributes usually referred to the characteristics of wheat flour known to consumers and at implementing a predictive model of purchasing that allows to make correct decisions without the necessary experience of a real human expert. Design methodology: In order to investigate the research aims of the paper, an on-line survey was carried out and conducted by means of the Google Forms in the detection time January-April 2016. The on line survey collected responses from 467 Italian respondents asked to give feedback about their buying habits of various types of flour. Responses were analyzed through a data mining approach. This paper implements predictive analytics to create a statistical model of future behavior by means of a machine learning algorithms. Findings: In line with recent healthy and dynamic trends in the food industry, conscious consumer seems to be willing to pay a price for “type 1” wheat flour that is four times higher than the price related to the basic types of wheat flour. Social Implications: Consumer seems not to know well the “type 1” wheat flour and its healthy characteristics; then, it should be crucial to implement promotional strategies and marketing hand in hand. Promotion can be a key element in putting across the health benefits of special kinds of wheat flour. Originality/value: Highlighting health issues about the “type 1” wheat flour gives insights and sheds some light on the crucial need of changing eating and purchasing behavior. Then, originality of this paper can be find in the used predictive algorithm of the artificial intelligence.

Background: Market orientation plays a crucial role in reinforcing firm’s competitive advantage; nevertheless, marketing myopia can negatively affect a clear perception of the market. Methods: An organization that defines itself by product rather than by market terms is probably affected by marketing myopia, a narrowness of mind towards any newness – newness respect to firms’ convincement and routines - coming from the external environment. In that context some scientific relevant developments that comes from recent patents have been considered. This paper explores the determinants of marketing myopia in the Apulia wine business (South Italy). Results: The aim of this paper is to describe how experiential research based on Consumer Science research tools, can facilitate a better market knowledge. Experimental sessions carried out in 2013 in Apulia with a group of professionals from the oil and wine sectors clearly demonstrate how country of origin effect can improve marketing myopia. Conclusion: Through a protocol based on an “academicians - practitioners” model, professionals can be facilitated in their strategy formulation.

Over the last years, research about sustainability has been interesting due to growing importance of green orientation in the consumer purchasing process. In particular, in the wine industry producers’ environment-friendly behaviour, in terms of organic winemaking, agricultural waste recovery, efficient water use, can represent a high-powered chance to differentiate products and to face new market challenges. Understanding consumer expectations and new purchasing trends by means of marketing tools leads the wine producers to adopt green oriented innovations. Therefore, this research sought to investigate the relationship between marketing innovation tools and green firm approach. Structured online questionnaires were used to ascertain the views of 280 wineries in Apulia region, in South Italy, that has a very long history as a wine producer. Findings of this study indicate that wineries with marketing innovative tools seem to have a more eco-friendly approach, since the sustainability orientation can be considered a crucial issue in the framework of the new firm competitiveness challenges. Finally, implications shed some light on the importance of adopting suitable marketing and communication tools to address wineries towards sustainability based trends.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the agri-environmental sustainability whereas statistical improvements provide a considerable backbone for understanding the three E’s balance rule, environment, equity, economy. Then, access data to key resources such as food and water are still not fully available and comparable between countries. This opens several questions in terms of what kind of policy measures we effectively need and where to support climate smart agriculture and build resilience to climate change. By analysing food data, we identify gaps and bottlenecks which may affect the understanding of the magnitude of the food security challenge. We study a post-transition country, Serbia, chosen for the relevance of the agricultural sector on the living conditions of rural population, and the opportunities for the transition to sustainable farming and food production. Finally, we give insights for optimisation of the use of statistical info by highlighting informative power and limits of available statistical sources.