Articles

The multi-actor approach in thematic networks for agriculture and forestry innovation

The co-creation and sharing of knowledge among different types of actors with complementary expertise is known as the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA). This paper presents how Horizon2020 Thematic-Networks (TNs) dea...

Authors: Elena Feo, Pieter Spanoghe, Els Berckmoes, Elodie Pascal, Rosa Mosquera-Losada, Alexander Opdebeeck and Sylvia Burssens

Exploring the effects of increasing underutilized crops on consumers’ diets: the case of millet in Uganda

Known in the literature as underutilized, neglected or orphan crops, these crops have been cited as having the potential to improve food and nutritional security. The literature also highlights however that co...

Authors: Cesar Revoredo-Giha, Luiza Toma, Faical Akaichi and Ian Dawson

The role of transdisciplinary research in the transformation of food systems

Authors: Gerald Schwarz, Francesco Vanni and David Miller

Food solidarity economy: evaluating transition community initiatives in Friuli Venezia Giulia region

Climate change, ecological challenges, and economic and social crises imply paradigmatic and structural innovations. In the effort to drive transition toward sustainability, local communities often take the le...

Authors: Lucia Piani, Matteo Carzedda and Nadia Carestiato

EU income stabilization tool: potential impacts, financial sustainability and farmer’s risk aversion

The Income Stabilization Tool, a risk management scheme introduced within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014–2020, could help European Union farmers manage the income risks they face. This study assesse...

Authors: Simone Severini, Cinzia Zinnanti, Valeria Borsellino and Emanuele Schimmenti

Framing agricultural policy through the EC’s strategies on CAP reforms (1992–2017)

The periodic reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are announced each time by a strategic document in the form of a Communication by the European Commission (EC). The content of the last Communicatio...

Authors: Karmen Erjavec and Emil Erjavec

Assessing the joint adoption and complementarity between in-field conservation practices of Kansas farmers

Agricultural conservation systems consist of a myriad of conservation practices. The mix and intensity of conservation practices adopted can benefit farmers and affect the entire production system in addition ...

Authors: Sheng Gong, Jason.S. Bergtold and Elizabeth Yeager

Why consumers drink natural wine? Consumer perception and information about natural wine

Similar to other foods, the concept of natural wine is much debated due to the lack of a clear and regulated definition, leading to a proliferation of heterogeneous norms and standards proposed from different ...

Authors: Riccardo Vecchio, Eva Parga-Dans, Pablo Alonso González and Azzurra Annunziata

Building a culture of research impact assessment within the agro-food research organizations

Authors: Bouali Guesmi and José M. Gil

Factors behind consumers' choices for healthy fruits: a review of pomegranate and its food derivatives

Due to the rising interest in healthy products, superfoods such as pomegranate have begun to spread widely on the international market in recent years. Identification of the consumer choice determinants is a k...

Authors: Alice Stiletto and Samuele Trestini

Livelihood assets’ influence on Ugandan farmers’ control practices for Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW)

This study analyzes the influence of livelihood assets on Ugandan farmers’ decisions to control Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), a disease that has threatened banana production and the livelihoods of Ugandan far...

Authors: Tiziana Pagnani, Elisabetta Gotor, Enoch Kikulwe and Francesco Caracciolo

Rural sustainability and food choice: the effect of territorial characteristics on the consumers’ preferences for organic lentils

The importance of pulse cultivation and consumption is recognized by the scientific community in terms of human nutrition, food security, biodiversity and a valid substitute for animal protein. In some margina...

Authors: Chiara Paffarini, Biancamaria Torquati, Tiziano Tempesta, Sonia Venanzi and Daniel Vecchiato

Farmer-herder conflicts, tenure insecurity and farmer’s investment decisions in Agogo, Ghana

Owing to climate change, population growth and tenurial changes, the past decade has witnessed high interest among migrant and settler pastoralist groups in the vegetal-rich customary lands of the Agogo Tradit...

Authors: Selorm Kobla Kugbega and Prince Young Aboagye

Civic universities and bottom-up approaches to boost local development of rural areas: the case of the University of Macerata

The aim of this paper is to provide a review of the main roles HEIs can play in rural areas. A longitudinal case study about the civic engagement of the University of Macerata - UNIMC (Italy) is presented, by ...

Authors: Tomasi Sabrina, Cavicchi Alessio, Aleffi Chiara, Paviotti Gigliola, Ferrara Concetta, Baldoni Federica and Passarini Paolo

Economic performance of agritourism: an analysis of farms located in a less favoured area in Italy

Farms that operate in less favoured areas (LFAs) often suffer in achieving adequate profits. Diversification strategies, such as direct selling and offering recreational services, can play an important role in...

Authors: Brunella Arru, Roberto Furesi, Fabio A. Madau and Pietro Pulina

Implications of food-for-work programs for consumption and production diversity: Evidence from the Tigray Region of Ethiopia

Food-based transfer programs have the potential to change diets or alter basic crop mixes. This study empirically investigates the associations between participating in food-for-work (FFW) programs and the div...

Authors: Bethelhem Legesse Debela, Gerald E. Shively and Stein T. Holden

On the association between risk attitude and fruit and vegetable consumption: insights from university students in Italy

As a novel contribution, this paper explores the possible association between individual risk attitudes and consumer fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Inspired by the literature, the study also investigates the...

Authors: Elisa Giampietri, Giuseppe Bugin and Samuele Trestini

Economics of contracts in African food systems: evidence from the malt barley sector in Ethiopia

Foreign direct investment (FDI) facilitates modernization of domestic agri-food systems in emerging economies through increased use of vertical coordination. This paper sheds lights on how international brewer...

Authors: Delelegne A. Tefera and Jos Bijman

Does market access improve dietary diversity and food security? Evidence from Southwestern Ethiopian smallholder coffee producers

Market access influences the dietary diversity and food security for smallholder households in many ways. In Ethiopia, most smallholders are subsistence farmers who have poor access to markets. This study used...

Authors: Muhammed Abdella Usman and Daniel Callo-Concha

The evolutionary transformation of modern agri-food systems: emerging trends in consumption, production, and in the provision of public goods

Authors: Luca Camanzi and Stefania Troiano

Organizational forms and technical efficiency of the dairy processing industry in Southern Brazil

The objective of this article is to assess the determinants of the technical efficiency of dairy processing firms in Southern Brazil while accounting for their different organizational forms, namely cooperativ...

Authors: Caetano Luiz Beber, Sebastian Lakner and Ioannis Skevas

The impact of pest risk management measures on trade: the case of apples from France and Chile

In this article, we investigate how pest risk management protocols may affect trade flows of fresh apples. We apply our analysis to two major players in the international trade of fresh apples: France and Chil...

Authors: DeMaria Federica, Drogue Sophie and Lubello Pasquale

Food consumption patterns, nutrient adequacy, and the food systems in Nigeria

Previous studies in Nigeria examined food and nutrition security mainly using anthropometric indicators, total calorie intake, or the household dietary diversity score (HDDS). However, recent evidence on nutri...

Authors: Daniel A. Mekonnen, Laura Trijsburg, Thom Achterbosch, Inge D. Brouwer, Gina Kennedy, Vincent Linderhof, Ruerd Ruben and Elise F. Talsma

Vertical price transmission in Swiss dairy and cheese value chains

In Switzerland, there are separated value chains for dairy and cheese products, which differ in terms of industry concentration, value chain governance, and product characteristics. We analyze how milk prices ...

Authors: Judith Hillen

Economic benefits of livestock management in Ghana

The traditional system of producing small ruminants (sheep and goats) contributes significantly to the socioeconomic wellbeing of farm households in northern Ghana. Besides serving as an important source of in...

Authors: Faizal Adams, Kwasi Ohene-Yankyera, Robert Aidoo and Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa

Does it pay to switch from free grazing to stall feeding? Impact of stall feeding practice on household welfare in Tigrai Ethiopia

In this paper, efforts were made to the impact of full and seasonal stall feeding technology on households’ economic, ecological, and social welfare outcome indicators in rural Northern Ethiopia using data obt...

Authors: Muuz Hadush

Effects of climate adaptation on technical efficiency of maize production in Northern Ghana

Climate adaptation is an essential strategy for responding to climate change at local levels and required for sustainable food production to meet the growing food demand. In this light, this study analyzed the...

Authors: William Adzawla and Hamdiyah Alhassan

Commoning of territorial heritage and tools of participated sustainability for the production and enhancement of agro-environmental public goods

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the commoning heritage processes find application for the production of agro-environmental public goods in contexts of high socio-economic marginality and environmen...

Authors: G. Fabiola Safonte, Claudio Bellia and Pietro Columba

Adoption analysis of agricultural technologies in the semiarid northern Ethiopia: a panel data analysis

Agricultural technology change is required in developing countries to increase the robustness to climate-related variability, feed a growing population, and create opportunities for market-oriented production....

Authors: Menasbo Gebru, Stein T. Holden and Frode Alfnes

Technical efficiency and productivity of farms: a periurban case study analysis

Periurban farming systems are characterized by the need to adapt the farming practices coping with a modified natural and social environment. Questions are thus posed on the efficient use of the inputs. The pu...

Authors: Anna Gaviglio, Rosalia Filippini, Fabio Albino Madau, Maria Elena Marescotti and Eugenio Demartini

Measuring circularity: an application of modified Material Circularity Indicator to agricultural systems

The transition from a linear to a circular economy is a research trend topic, as well as the possibility to measure the degree of circularity of products and systems. In a linear economy, raw materials are tak...

Authors: L. Rocchi, L. Paolotti, C. Cortina, F. F. Fagioli and A. Boggia

Label information and consumer behaviour: evidence on drinking milk sector

The purpose of the research is to evaluate the impact of different kinds of information disclosures of milk labels, investigating the interest among consumers based on their consumption behaviours and characte...

Authors: Andrea Marchini, Chiara Riganelli, Francesco Diotallevi and Bianca Polenzani

Insights into organic wine consumption: behaviour, segmentation and attribute non-attendance

Several studies have focused on the behaviour of consumers towards organic wine, finding varying and sometimes conflicting results. Some scholars have noted that consumers may perceive wine labelled as organic...

Authors: Fabio Boncinelli, Andrea Dominici, Francesca Gerini and Enrico Marone

Consumer perception of sustainable practices in dairy production

Home-grown protein crops as an alternative to soya in dairy cattle meals, as well as other sustainable ethical-based practices, have been proposed to increase the sustainability of dairy production. Data on co...

Authors: Simona Naspetti, Serena Mandolesi, Jeroen Buysse, Terhi Latvala, Phillipa Nicholas, Susanne Padel, Ellen J. Van Loo and Raffaele Zanoli

Agricultural business economics: the challenge of sustainability

Authors: Giulio Malorgio and Francesco Marangon

Exploring beyond the conjunctural rhetoric: sociocultural drivers for the “cassava crisis” in Côte d’Ivoire

Despite considerable improvement of food security in low- and middle-income countries over the last decades, food shortages remain persistent in sub-Saharan Africa. The driving forces are often related not onl...

Authors: Aubin Jacob Mobio, Gilbert Fokou, Solange Aka, Kouadio Benal Kouassi, Katharina Sophia Kreppel, Kouakou Philipps Kouakou, Nogbou Andecthi Aubin Amanzou, Daouda Dao and Bassirou Bonfoh

Do consumers’ values and attitudes affect food retailer choice? Evidence from a national survey on farmers’ market in Germany

New trends in food consumption are shaping consumers’ preferences and buying behavior. Non-traditional food retailing and short supply chains (SSCs) are offering bundles of attributes that fit the needs of lar...

Authors: Gianni Cicia, Marilena Furno and Teresa Del Giudice

Examining the determinants of global and local price passthrough in cereal markets: evidence from DCC-GJR-GARCH and panel analyses

Existing literature has not yet identified the common determinants of price volatility transmission in agricultural commodities from international to local markets and has rarely investigated the role of self-...

Authors: Jin Guo and Tetsuji Tanaka

Supervising third-party control bodies for certification: the case of organic farming in Italy

The organic food certification system in Italy, based on the EU legislation, relies on private control bodies (CBs) that are supervised by national authorities. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether ...

Authors: Annalisa Zezza, Federica Demaria, Tiziana Laureti and Luca Secondi

Consumption smoothing and price enhancement motives for grain storage: empirical perspectives from rural Ethiopia

Consumption smoothing and temporal price arbitrage are the two main economic motives for grain storage in semi-subsistence economies. Nonetheless, little has been documented on the determinants of households’ ...

Authors: Wondimagegn Tesfaye and Gebrelibanos Gebremariam

Economic potentials of artisanal food processing microenterprises in West Africa: case of “atta” production in Cotonou (Benin)

Rapid population growth and urbanization in West Africa have led to profound changes in the lifestyles and diets of urban dwellers. These changes are marked by greater preference for healthier and more nutriti...

Authors: Claudia E. Kpossilande, Barthélemy G. Honfoga and Thierry Ferre

Sustainability and food security after COVID-19: relocalizing food systems?

Authors: Walter Belik

Organic vegetables demand in urban area using a count outcome model: case study of Burkina Faso

This paper designs and tests a model for count outcomes to analyse the effective demand for organic vegetables in the city of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. From a ‘short value chain’ perspective, we show that the...

Authors: Janvier Kini, Nicky Pouw and Joyeeta Gupta

Economic linkage between urban development and livelihood of peri-urban farming communities in Ethiopia (policies and practices)

As urban expands into peripheral areas, peri-urban indigenous farmers lose their land and highly vulnerable to negative externalities of urbanization. The aim of the study is to assess the economic linkage bet...

Authors: Idris Mohammed, Abdella Kosa and Nuredin Juhar

Microfinance services for smallholder farmers: an assessment from rice farmers’ expectations in Central Benin

This study analyzed the adequacy between credit supply and the expectations of rice farmers in Central Benin to define policies for improved agricultural-oriented financial services. A survey was conducted in ...

Authors: Smith A. R. Dossou, Augustin K. N. Aoudji, Albertine M. Houessou and Rodrigue S. Kaki

The new CAP must be linked more closely to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Authors: Alan Matthews

Box-scheme as alternative food network—the economic integration between consumers and producers

As a growing option for small farmers, alternative food networks (AFN) have attracted the attention of researchers around the world. Nevertheless, not much focus is given to box-schemes as a format itself. The...

Authors: Ronaldo Tavares de Souza

The impact of US sugar prices on the financial performance of US sugar-using firms

The effect of the United States (US) sugar program on sugar-using firm profitability from 2000 to 2017 is examined using firm financial data and the relative US-to-world sugar price ratio. Return on assets and...

Authors: Carlos J. O. Trejo-Pech, Karen L. DeLong, Dayton M. Lambert and Vasileios Siokos

EU wine policy in the framework of the CAP: post-2020 challenges

The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and with it the EU wine policy, is experiencing a reform process, started in 2018, in order to address ambitious environmental and social objectives, in conjunction wit...

Authors: Eugenio Pomarici and Roberta Sardone

Alternative food shoppers and the “quantity dilemma”: a study on the determinants of their purchases at alternative markets

Despite the increasing interest around alternative food networks and their huge growth in the last decades, they are still considered a complementary source of provision by most customers. Alternative food sho...

Authors: Clara Cicatiello