The global offer of legume-based snacks has sharply increased in recent years. However, to date, few studies have focused on the relationship between product supply and demand concerning the importance of attributes of such innovative foods. In this research, we identified the key internal and external determinants that affect legumes snack (LS) price and choice by Italian industries and consumers, respectively. In parallel, we investigated their preferences and perceptions towards these foods. We used the hedonic price model (HPM) and the discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach for these purposes, respectively. HPM revealed that the monetary value of LS was determined to greater significance by the: (i) size of the package; (ii) presence of rice, presence of lentils; (iii) presence of the nutritional information; and (iv) the discount shops as site of purchase. DCE revealed that the: (i) origin certification, (ii) recyclability of the package, and (iii) use of extra virgin olive oil of LS provided Italian consumers a high utility, for which they were willing to pay an average price premium of EUR 3.85, 3.64, and 1.87, respectively. On the contrary, the sunflower oil induced a decrease in their function utility. As such, this paper contributes to define potent market-segmentation strategies and to deliver effective private and public nutrition interventions for healthy eating.

A discrete choice experiment was conducted to assess the perceptions and willingness-to-pay of Italian consumers regarding plant diagnosis and sustainable cultivation attributes in outdoor ornamental plants, specifically Abelia × grandiflora. The results revealed that most Italian consumers place great importance on the health of ornamental plants during the purchasing process, with a preference for obtaining them from nursery facilities. Additionally, they demonstrated a willingness to pay a price premium for innovative plant diagnosis and sustainable cultivation in the production of A. × grandiflora, amounting to EUR 1.10 and EUR 0.90, respectively. These findings have significant implications for (i) nursery growers, enabling them to shape their sustainable nursery management and marketing strategies, and (ii) policymakers, facilitating the enhancement of communication strategies and the implementation of awareness campaigns aimed at promoting the sale of healthy Italian ornamental species, following the current EU regulation 2020/1201.

The wine sector faces urgent challenges related to climate change, resource constraints, rising energy costs, and shifting consumption patterns. In this context, sustainability represents a lever of competitiveness and resilience, enabling producers to differentiate themselves through their connection with the territory and the preservation of artisanal practices. This is particularly evident for native varieties, such as the Apulian Primitivo, whose market repositioning is based on production choices that combine sustainability and craftsmanship, generating wines with distinctive organoleptic characteristics while also contributing to the environmental, economic, and social protection of the production areas. At the same time, the spread of e-commerce offers new opportunities to enhance these characteristics: online descriptions enrich the communication of details compared to the physical label, reducing information asymmetries and making signs of quality and sustainability more visible. Therefore, this study applies a hedonic model to estimate the implicit price of such practices, analyzing 656 Primitivo labels through simultaneous quantile regressions. The results show that sensory characteristics, such as alcohol content and ageing, determine the price throughout distribution, while identity and sustainable attributes have heterogeneous effects: ecological practices and Geographical Indications affect the lower quantiles, while indigenous yeasts and sapling vines are configured as premium signals in the upper segments.

The growing diffusion of dealcoholized wines calls for a deeper understanding of how information and sensory evaluation jointly shape consumer acceptance, particularly in traditional wine markets. This study investigates the effects of different combinations of information and tasting on sensory evaluation and willingness-to-pay for a partially dealcoholized red wine. A between-subjects experiment was conducted during a scientific festival in Apulia (Italy), where participants were assigned to three conditions (INFO-SENS, SENS, INFO) and evaluated a non-commercialized Apulian Primitivo (1.5% ABV), produced through low-temperature vacuum evaporation and not pasteurized. Sensory attributes (visual, olfactory, gustatory, overall) were rated on 9-point hedonic scales, and WTP for a 125 mL glass was elicited using a payment card. The results show that the information-only group (INFO) reported the highest WTP, compared to the tasting-only group (SENS). Information exposure increased visual and olfactory evaluations, but not gustatory ratings. Prior knowledge of NoLo wines was associated with negative expectations, though this effect was attenuated by information. Overall, within this experimental setting, information emerged as a key driver of perceived value outweighing sensory liking, although the two remained positively correlated. These findings highlight the importance of transparent communication in fostering acceptance and repositioning dealcoholized wine as a credible category within traditional markets.