The aim of the research is to investigate whether purchasing decisions about bakery products (bread, snacks and biscuits) are influenced by concerns about health, climate change, biodiversity loss and food waste. The exploratory survey was carried out in two successive moments before and during the health emergency from COVID-19. Before the health emergency, face-to-face interviews were carried out using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed by factor analysis, reliability tests and descriptive analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the research hypotheses. The results of the modeling analysis of the structural equations highlighted that health and the environment represent an important background in the consumer experience of the respondents and influence the attitude and intention to purchase safe and environmentally friendly bakery products. Furthermore, the results suggest that informed, modern and aware consumers have direct and indirect effects on the intentions to adopt sustainable attitudes. On the contrary, the perception relating to the shops where consumers buy bakery products does not always show a significant influence on the propensity for sustainability. During the health emergency, the interviews were conducted online. Families confined to their homes, buying less in stores, have prepared many baked goods manually at home. The descriptive analysis of this group of consumers shows a growing attention to points of sale and the tendency to use online shopping. Furthermore, the changes in the type of purchases and the importance attributed to the need to reduce food waste emerge.

Multifunctionality and social farming represent forms of resilience and innovation within urban and rural systems, making use of agricultural, rural, natural, and cultural resources to produce multiple benefits and eco-systemic services. Social farming (SF) introduces innovative activities capable of representing a factor supporting the competitiveness of the production system and represents a tool for responding to the growing needs of urban and rural populations in social, economic, and environmental terms, in relation to the offer of social- health, social-work, recreative and educational services. SF is an innovative model of territorial, participatory, relational, and community service development that looks to an inclusive, sustainable, fair, and supportive society. Its success is linked to the ability to spread within the economic system and become a circular economy model highlighting good practices and as a virtuous example for other companies. The purpose of this work is to examine the role and social impact that Social Farming has in the environmental, social, and cultural changes of the territories where they are located. Case studies in an area of Southern Italy—the Calabria region—were examined with multicriteria methodologies (social network analysis; multiple correspondence analysis) to identify the type of social activity carried out and the propensity to introduce innovations based on services ecosystems on farms. The results show the potential and value of the companies that carry out these social innovation activities. The analysis carried out has drawn some indicative profiles of socially oriented multifunctional companies.

The study looks at the problems facing coastal fishing communities. It highlights the impacts that, in the complex framework of the EU reforms, have manifested themselves on economic activities and on society. The aim of the paper is twofold: to examine small-scale artisanal fishing in an area of Southern Italy in order to develop resilience and diversification and at the same time to outline the profiles of local bluefish buyers to highlight development strategies for the sector. The research carried out through a direct survey by administering a questionnaire to fishermen operating in areas of Southern Italy and the data cross-referenced with the opinions of local consumers. A conjoint experiment, followed by a multiple correspondence analysis and cluster identification, was used to outline the profiles of local bluefish buyers. The results of the analysis reveal that the fish market and the restaurant sector are the main distribution channels preferred by fishermen. Furthermore, fishermen are very sensitive to environmental issues and are willing to collaborate and actively participate in the environmental protection of the sea. Consumers recognise the quality of local bluefish, and they implicitly perceive the sustainability of the method of capture. The results show the need to undertake synergistic actions for the fishing industry, capable of activating marketing strategies adequately to support, promote and develop the sector. The results of the study provide helpful information for food companies in order to better segment their market and target their consumers, as well as to effectively promote their product using brands, certifications and traceability.

In many European countries the consumption of tropical fruit is constantly growing, and people are increasingly turning to diets rich in fruit and vegetables. In this context, mango is considered a super-food for its nutritional medium-high energy value. Produced mainly in developing countries, tropical fruits animate an interesting international market. Production in Mediterranean countries is also growing and is increasingly requested in European markets. The aim of this work is to investigate the factors that drive the inclination to purchase fresh mango and mango food and drinks in Italy and Brazil in order to observe consumer preferences in the two countries. The personal experiences, motivations and choices of consumers regarding fresh mango and mango-based products were taken into consideration. Through an online survey, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered in Italy and Brazil which led to a total sample of 453 participants. The data were statistically analyzed, and a PLS-SEM model was used to empirically examine the factors influencing the consumption of fresh mango and mango food and drinks. The research hypotheses are all supported. For a comparison between the two countries, a multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) was performed. In Italy, consumers are attentive to the quality and safety of the fruit; they choose the point of sale where they buy fresh mango or mango foods because they trust the seller to guarantee the fruit’s origin and transformation. In Brazil, new consumer trends are emerging especially in gastronomy; since they are local foods, they are considered safe, sustainable and healthy by consumers. The study addresses a little-explored topic and aims to enrich the debate on consumer orientations, preferences and reasons for buying mango and mango products.

The truffle is a niche, valuable and ecological product exported and consumed all over the world. However, little is known about consumers’ preferences for truffles and truffle products. This study empirically explores the factors influencing their consumption in Italy. A PLS-SEM model was implemented and validated using an extended version of the theory of planned behavior, including consumers’ food-specific curiosity as an additional construct to basic constructs such as attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. The analysis allowed us to examine and verify the significance of the relationships between the factors and what impact they have on intentions to consume fresh and truffle-based products. The processing concerns of consumers were reached through face-to-face consultation with a semi-structured questionnaire. The results obtained suggested that consumers’ intentions in using truffles involve several factors, such as consumers’ personal experiences, organoleptic characteristics (aroma and taste), food safety, trust in the seller/brand, traceability information, the aspect of green products and, more generally, the protection of the environment and forests. The findings provided novel insights for researchers to understand the aspects of truffle consumption, and also represent a guideline for marketers to develop appropriate marketing tactics to grow the truffle business.

In Italy, in ten years, the national production of sheep’s cheese has gone from 60 thousand tons to almost 80 thousand tons at present, a sign of a lively dynamism of the sector mainly due to a growth in demand. The significant leap in production is accompanied by that of consumption and is mainly due to pecorino (fresh and seasoned), which, together with fresh ricotta, is gaining acceptance in the national and international markets. The objective of the paper is to examine, in a study area of southern Italy, consumer preferences for locally produced pecorino cheese near kilometer zero and the profit margins of the dairy companies producing pecorino. The interviews with consumers made it possible to explore purchasing preferences based on the reasons for choosing and the points of sale where consumers buy the cheese. The interviews with the manufacturing companies highlighted a different business organization of the single production units whose economic results show, despite the difficulties, the resilience of the companies. The company’s net margins per quintal of processed milk are more or less satisfactory and supported by the positive interest of consumers. As for the latter, they show increasingly pushed trends towards the purchase of niche products at Km0, made with more sustainable production systems.