This study provides an accurate economic characterization of the supply of edible mushrooms throughout Italy within the European context to fill the relevant research gap and highlight barriers and opportunities that are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. Italian companies operating in this field were identified and economically characterized using the Chamber of Commerce’s Register of Companies. A qualitative web content analysis was then conducted to extract information about the marketed products, mushroom species, and retail channels, as well as the adopted certifications. The obtained data were quantitatively analyzed through descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analysis. The Italian market is concentrated in northern areas of the country, and the limited company size indicates fragmentation at the production level, which led to Italy not being competitive enough and, thus, heavily rely on imports. Production is limited to less than 10 species, and innovative mushroom-based products, such as burgers, have shown a limited presence on the market, although they are gaining market share online. The novelty of growing kits highlights the potential to use food production waste to create fungal substrates. Investments in training new mushroom growers and studying new formulations and new fungal species are needed; these investments could allow greater market differentiation and be a good opportunity to promote local economies and create new job opportunities, thus meeting the requirements for sustainable development.

The agribusiness sector is constantly seeking solutions to enhance food security, sustainability, and resilience. Recent estimates indicate that one-third of the total food production remains unused due to waste or limited shelf life, resulting in negative environmental and ethical consequences. Consequently, exploring technological solutions to extend the shelf life of food products could be a crucial option to address this issue. However, the success of these technological solutions is closely linked to the perception of the end-consumers, particularly in the short term. Based on these considerations, this paper presents a systematic literature review of the main technological innovations in the fresh meat industry and of consumers’ perceptions of such innovations. Regarding innovative technologies, this review focused on active and smart packaging. Amidst various technological innovations, including the utilization of fundamental matrices and natural additives, a noticeable gap exists in consumer perception studies. This study represents the first comprehensive compilation of research on consumers’ perceptions and acceptance of innovations designed to extend the shelf life of fresh meat. Moreover, it sheds light on the existing barriers that hinder the complete embrace of these innovations.

The aim of the study has been to understand the stakeholders’ stance, with respect to the different stages of Porter’s value chain, to learn what activities could create the most value to the future competitiveness of the Italian aromatic sector. The main challenges faced by stakeholders and possible future strategies have been investigated. A survey, consisting of four subsequent phases: creation of a focus group, identification of actors and experts, gathering of data, and processing of the data using descriptive statistics and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), has been performed. The stakeholders agreed that the Italian aromatic sector needs to enhance its value chain, but there is a polarisation of importance especially towards processors and retailers. Processors consider operations and outbound logistics as the most relevant primary activities, while retailers consider marketing and sales. Firm infrastructure and technology development are the more relevant support activities for retailers, while human resource management for processors. Farmers are apprehensive of imports, while processors agree that priority should be given to the bargaining power of retailers. Training of professionals emerges as an important future strategy to improve the extended value chain of the sector. The article investigates the extended value chain of the aromatic plant sector, according to Porter's model, in combination with a multivariate explorative tool (MCA). The results represent preliminary insights that can be used to diversify the role and sensitivity of different stakeholders, with respect to supply chain competitiveness and innovation.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the role of mothers in administering afternoon snacks to children aged between 6 and 10. Through an exploratory analysis, this study aims at identifying how sociodemographic characteristics of mothers and children and objective and subjective nutritional awareness of the parent influences healthy or unhealthy food choices for the children.Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was submitted to 242 mothers of children attending primary school. Non-parametric correlation using Spearman's coefficient was adopted as an exploratory analysis tool.Findings: The analysis shows that the mothers' level of education and income influence the purchase of snack products. More permissive parents tend to be less well-off, have more than one child and also purchase sweet treats, salty snacks, and sugary drinks more frequently. Furthermore, the results show that parents' perceived subjective awareness is actually lower than their objective awareness, but also that both types of knowledge positively influence the purchase of healthy snacks.Originality/value: There is extensive research documenting the importance of parents in reducing the risk of obesity; however, their influence on snack intake has not been widely discussed. Furthermore, the association between the occurrence of obesity and parents' behaviour regarding their children's snacking remains unclear. To bridge this gap, this study focuses on a meal which is often linked to poor eating habits: the afternoon snack.

Despite the significant role of beef in the European agri-food industry, its intensification challenges environmental sustainability, a focus of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. Balancing industry importance with sustainability is crucial. This study aims to address sustainability issues in livestock production by establishing a correlation between sustainability levels and regional specificities at the NUTS 2 level. The study aims to categorize more sustainable models, with a particular focus on cattle farming activities that exert minimal environmental pressure on renewable resources. The goal is to identify eco-friendly practices that align the best with environmental conservation efforts in agricultural settings within European Union countries. To achieve this, a survey was conducted, utilizing principal component analysis, followed by cluster and georeferenced analyses of structural and socio-economic data from the beef sector. This encompassed factors such as land use, physical farm dimensions, socio-economic and management characteristics, and environmental indicators. Sixteen indicators were extracted and analyzed from EUROSTAT datasets, referencing NUTS 2 regions, and the comprehensive analysis identified five clusters as distinct farm management models, distributed variably across the territory. The results demonstrate that the best-performing models exhibit significant differences in terms of farming intensiveness, geographical distribution, and economic profitability, underscoring a certain polarization between economic and environmental sustainability. This study innovatively guides EU sustainable agriculture initiatives by categorizing sustainability levels in diverse cattle farming contexts, considering regional specificity, and emphasizing environmental impact reduction. The results can inform policy decisions, guide financial incentives, and promote eco-friendly practices, shaping a more targeted and resilient European agricultural policy.