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This paper analyses the preferences and emotional connotations of Italian consumers towards different chocolate types and assesses which label information consumers take into consideration during the purchasing process. A survey was conducted to collect data from 390 respondents from two different Italian chocolate production regions (Sicily and Piedmont). The results show that overall, consumers prefer dark, extra-dark and milk chocolate. However, a significantly higher percentage of women and men from Piedmont prefer “Gianduia” (hazelnut-based chocolate), when compared to Sicilians, whereas the type of chocolate formats preferred by consumers differs by gender (P < 0.05). Different attitudes before or after chocolate consumption are closely related to a certain type of product, in which gender and the geographical aspect are key influencing factors. Women and men from Piedmont feel unpleasant emotions towards chocolate before and after consumption, this was observed in the correlation analysis where positive correlations between anger emotions before consuming chocolate with guilty and sad emotions after consumption were noted in women and men, respectively (P < 0.05). In contrast, no significant correlations between feelings reported before and after chocolate consumption of Sicilian men was observed. During decision making, more than 40% of participants are aware of the cocoa quantity, nutritional information and fair-trade certification on the chocolate label. Our findings provide an empirical basis to inform the chocolate industry regarding consumer attitudes towards chocolate, to raise awareness of the social dimension in food labelling and to provide a baseline for the choice of a marketing communication strategy which plays upon emotional claims.
Valentina Maria Merlino; Jatziri Mota-Gutierrez; Danielle Borra; Filippo Brun; Luca Cocolin; Simone Blanc; Stefano Massaglia. Chocolate culture: Preferences, emotional implications and awareness of Italian consumers. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science 2021, 25, 100374 .
AMA StyleValentina Maria Merlino, Jatziri Mota-Gutierrez, Danielle Borra, Filippo Brun, Luca Cocolin, Simone Blanc, Stefano Massaglia. Chocolate culture: Preferences, emotional implications and awareness of Italian consumers. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. 2021; 25 ():100374.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValentina Maria Merlino; Jatziri Mota-Gutierrez; Danielle Borra; Filippo Brun; Luca Cocolin; Simone Blanc; Stefano Massaglia. 2021. "Chocolate culture: Preferences, emotional implications and awareness of Italian consumers." International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science 25, no. : 100374.
Purpose This study aims to examine the importance that different intrinsic and extrinsic attributes represent for young Italian consumers of honey, analysing how these aspects influence the quality perceived during consumption. In addition, demographic and lifestyle aspects have been considered as possible discriminants influencing millennial generation honey consumers. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed a non-parametric rank-based test (Mann–Whitney U test) to analyse which attributes millennials value most, relating these to gender, sports activity or rural and urban origin. Then, to identify consumption patterns, principal component analysis, applying Kaiser normalisation and varimax rotation, was used. Findings This study confirms the remarkable sensitivity of the millennials towards environmental sustainability aspects. This attribute of choice seems particularly important for a clearly identifiable segment of the sample examined, represented by women who regularly practice sports and who come from urban areas. This result makes it possible to identify a type of consumer who, from early adulthood, is mindful of their lifestyle and ecological footprint. Moreover, it emerges that the most important attributes during purchasing are those related to label information, local product and origin, highlighting the awareness of young people and their maturity in the consumption of agro-food products. Originality/value The authors identified a trend in consumption that diverges from the classic patterns based on brand and the intrinsic characteristics of honey, but which forges new pathways more closely intertwined with the aspects of sustainability and the relationship with the territory, in addition to food safety.
Simone Blanc; Raffaele Zanchini; Giuseppe Di Vita; Filippo Brun. The role of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of honey for Italian millennial consumers. British Food Journal 2021, 123, 2183 -2198.
AMA StyleSimone Blanc, Raffaele Zanchini, Giuseppe Di Vita, Filippo Brun. The role of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of honey for Italian millennial consumers. British Food Journal. 2021; 123 (6):2183-2198.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimone Blanc; Raffaele Zanchini; Giuseppe Di Vita; Filippo Brun. 2021. "The role of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of honey for Italian millennial consumers." British Food Journal 123, no. 6: 2183-2198.
In recent years, honey consumption has attracted an increasing interest among consumers, due to its beneficial properties for health and to the multiplicity of its use. Given the high importance that consumers ascribe to the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label, considered as one of the most relevant attributes for agro-food consumers, this study aims at detecting the main variables that influence the attitudes of honey consumers toward the PDO label by analyzing the purchasing intention of a convenience sample of northern Italian consumers. With this purpose, a logistic regression model analysis was performed, based on the consumers’ stated preference for PDO honey. The research highlights that those consumers who give their preference to PDO honey, also associate this label with aspects linked to environmental sustainability and to its organic production. Moreover, only gender, among the socio-demographic characteristics, had a significant effect on consumer attitudes toward the PDO label.
Giuseppe Di Vita; Liam Pippinato; Simone Blanc; Raffaele Zanchini; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun. Understanding the Role of Purchasing Predictors in the Consumer’s Preferences for PDO Labelled Honey. Journal of Food Products Marketing 2021, 27, 42 -56.
AMA StyleGiuseppe Di Vita, Liam Pippinato, Simone Blanc, Raffaele Zanchini, Angela Mosso, Filippo Brun. Understanding the Role of Purchasing Predictors in the Consumer’s Preferences for PDO Labelled Honey. Journal of Food Products Marketing. 2021; 27 (1):42-56.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiuseppe Di Vita; Liam Pippinato; Simone Blanc; Raffaele Zanchini; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun. 2021. "Understanding the Role of Purchasing Predictors in the Consumer’s Preferences for PDO Labelled Honey." Journal of Food Products Marketing 27, no. 1: 42-56.
The global honey market has witnessed constant growth over recent decades, especially in Asian regions. In recent years, the increase in export flows of this product throughout the world has raised the issue of the lack of international import standards and regulations, making trade susceptible to variables that are not only economic, but also social or political. The objective of this study is therefore to explore, using the econometric methodology of gravity models, what the determinants of the international honey trade are, both economic and socio-cultural, and to verify whether a niche market, such as the one being examined, is influenced by these covariates, in a similar manner to the main commodities of the agri-food sector, or if honey displays a unique behavior. The results show that honey market behavior is not statistically different from that of the main agri-food products already studied and that the cultural distance, introduced as a covariate, does not have a significant influence.
Liam Pippinato; Simone Blanc; Teresina Mancuso; Filippo Brun. A Sustainable Niche Market: How Does Honey Behave? Sustainability 2020, 12, 10678 .
AMA StyleLiam Pippinato, Simone Blanc, Teresina Mancuso, Filippo Brun. A Sustainable Niche Market: How Does Honey Behave? Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10678.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLiam Pippinato; Simone Blanc; Teresina Mancuso; Filippo Brun. 2020. "A Sustainable Niche Market: How Does Honey Behave?" Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10678.
This research has assessed what large retail chains actually do, in terms of assortment depth and size of conventional cow milk, by comparing different retail formats and two metropolitan cities (Milan and Turin). The differences in the composition of the assortment were determined considering the milk categories according to their brand, origin, packaging, fat content and price. The differences in association between the milk categories and the retail formats were also analyzed. The results show differences in wide and deep of milk offer between the two areas and that retailers develop a composition offer that is not fully in agreement with the local preferences.
Valentina Maria Merlino; Giulia Mastromonaco; Danielle Borra; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun; Stefano Massaglia. Planning of the cow milk assortment for large retail chains in North Italy: A comparison of two metropolitan cities. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 2020, 59, 102406 .
AMA StyleValentina Maria Merlino, Giulia Mastromonaco, Danielle Borra, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun, Stefano Massaglia. Planning of the cow milk assortment for large retail chains in North Italy: A comparison of two metropolitan cities. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 2020; 59 ():102406.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValentina Maria Merlino; Giulia Mastromonaco; Danielle Borra; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun; Stefano Massaglia. 2020. "Planning of the cow milk assortment for large retail chains in North Italy: A comparison of two metropolitan cities." Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 59, no. : 102406.
The dairy sector accounts for a large share of all European agricultural production, at the same time however, it is one of the most ascribed sector contributors to the environmental impact of agriculture, particularly for greenhouse gas emissions. Simultaneously, it is a strategic sector for the economy but generates increasing debate in the community regarding the social aspects mainly related to the use of resources and the food-feed competition of livestock involving the reduction of human-edible crops. In this general framework, this study aims to compare four different dairy farming scenarios characterized by different use of environmental resources in the Alpine area, considering as a case study the production of the Toma di Lanzo cheese (a traditional cheese produced in the mountainous regions of Piedmont—Northwest Italy). The study envisaged the integrated use of three methodologies: Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing and the assessment of human-edible feed conversion efficiency to jointly analyze environmental, economic and social aspects. The main results of this research highlighted how the utilization of local breeds, which maximize the efficiency in the use of territory resources, such as grasslands in a mountain environment, allowed dairy production to reduce emissions, when compared to the high-input traditional breeding systems. Although the mountain livestock systems have several critical issues mainly linked to social factors such as low generational turnover, work schedules, modest life quality of families, it is however possible to earn more income than in lowland scenarios. At the same time, this production system allows the Toma di Lanzo cheese-making heritage to be preserved. This mountain pasture cheese, to which superior organoleptic and nutritional characteristics are attributable, when compared to cheeses from the valley floor, incorporates traditional values, a link to the territory and the transmission of knowledge. With reference to food-feed competition in livestock involving the reduction of the use of human-edible crops and feedstuffs in animal diets, we found that grazing and grass-based feeding systems were one of the most sustainable ways to produce milk.
Tibor Verduna; Simone Blanc; Valentina Maria Merlino; Paolo Cornale; Luca Maria Battaglini. Sustainability of Four Dairy Farming Scenarios in an Alpine Environment: The Case Study of Toma di Lanzo Cheese. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2020, 7, 569167 .
AMA StyleTibor Verduna, Simone Blanc, Valentina Maria Merlino, Paolo Cornale, Luca Maria Battaglini. Sustainability of Four Dairy Farming Scenarios in an Alpine Environment: The Case Study of Toma di Lanzo Cheese. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2020; 7 ():569167.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTibor Verduna; Simone Blanc; Valentina Maria Merlino; Paolo Cornale; Luca Maria Battaglini. 2020. "Sustainability of Four Dairy Farming Scenarios in an Alpine Environment: The Case Study of Toma di Lanzo Cheese." Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, no. : 569167.
The chestnut tree has characterised the social history of the Italian hills and mountains. However, in recent years, this resource has been abandoned because of the change in socio-economic needs. The aim of this study is twofold: (i) To give an overview of this resource, assessing the strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats of the chestnut tree through the use of the SWOT methodology; (ii) to provide action strategies for resource valorisation, in accordance with the SDGs set out in the UN 2030 Agenda, by using the TOWS methodology. Our results suggest four strategies, specifically; ‘resource-based’, ‘network-based’, ‘policy-based’ and ‘market-based’, capable of valorising the resource from environmental, economic and societal points of view. The active management of chestnut forests, together with the development of a value chain can guarantee sustainable production, technological and process innovation and could empower companies to face global markets in a more competitive way and lead to the creation of high value-added products, generating a strong economic and social engine for the revival of the sector. Moreover, the commitment of the private sector to the reorganisation of the supply chain must also be accompanied by coherent public policy action. This is essential for the adoption of plans and programmes consistent with sustainable development objectives, ensuring their prioritisation and implementation.
Stefano Bruzzese; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. Strategies for the Valorisation of Chestnut Resources in Italian Mountainous Areas from a Sustainable Development Perspective. Resources 2020, 9, 60 .
AMA StyleStefano Bruzzese, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun. Strategies for the Valorisation of Chestnut Resources in Italian Mountainous Areas from a Sustainable Development Perspective. Resources. 2020; 9 (5):60.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStefano Bruzzese; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. 2020. "Strategies for the Valorisation of Chestnut Resources in Italian Mountainous Areas from a Sustainable Development Perspective." Resources 9, no. 5: 60.
The modern consumer is now more attentive towards animal welfare practices and this represents an important factor when purchasing meat, whereby ethical, sociological and economic implications are evaluated. In addition, the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers evidence different sensitivities with regard to selection patterns and consumption styles. This study aims to explore the role of Gender in beef meat purchasing preferences, assessing consumer awareness of responsibility towards animal welfare, through the use of cross-tabulation with χ2 to test the different behaviour of men and women and the use of principal component analysis and cluster analysis to classify attitudes of choice according to gender. Among the research aims, this study examined consumer attitudes towards certain ‘ethically incorrect’ animal products, as well as their awareness of the institutional responsibility in controlling animal welfare standards during the meat production process. The study conducted in Northwest Italy, involving 512 respondents, shows that women are more sensitive to AW aspects and place trust in those responsible for certification of animal welfare standards, such as veterinarians and consumer associations, and also shows that it is possible to identify an ‘animal welfare sensitive’ profile of meat consumer.
S. Blanc; S. Massaglia; D. Borra; A. Mosso; V.M. Merlino. Animal welfare and gender: a nexus in awareness and preference when choosing fresh beef meat? Italian Journal of Animal Science 2020, 19, 410 -420.
AMA StyleS. Blanc, S. Massaglia, D. Borra, A. Mosso, V.M. Merlino. Animal welfare and gender: a nexus in awareness and preference when choosing fresh beef meat? Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2020; 19 (1):410-420.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Blanc; S. Massaglia; D. Borra; A. Mosso; V.M. Merlino. 2020. "Animal welfare and gender: a nexus in awareness and preference when choosing fresh beef meat?" Italian Journal of Animal Science 19, no. 1: 410-420.
Valentina Maria Merlino; Filippo Brun; Alice Versino; Simone Blanc. Milk packaging innovation: Consumer perception and willingness to pay. AIMS Agriculture and Food 2020, 5, 307 -326.
AMA StyleValentina Maria Merlino, Filippo Brun, Alice Versino, Simone Blanc. Milk packaging innovation: Consumer perception and willingness to pay. AIMS Agriculture and Food. 2020; 5 (2):307-326.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValentina Maria Merlino; Filippo Brun; Alice Versino; Simone Blanc. 2020. "Milk packaging innovation: Consumer perception and willingness to pay." AIMS Agriculture and Food 5, no. 2: 307-326.
The consumption pattern of salami has been subjected to relatively widespread attention by academician, but few studies concerning the health implications of salami consumption have been published. Since additives and product origins represent important attributes for salami, the objective of this paper is twofold: (i) to explore the role of two additives, salt and nitrates, in addition to the Italian origin, in relation to consumer attitudes and preferences towards salami, (ii) to segment consumer behaviour by assessing their willingness-to-buy salami, in order to verify whether different purchasing patterns can be identified within the different social groups. The analysis was conducted on two different levels. The first was developed through a conjoint analysis, while the second implemented a frequency analysis based on a bivariate analysis. Results show the price as one of the most important variables in identifying the quality level of salami, in addition, certain socio-economic segments of consumers show a significant propensity to pay an additional price for salami with a low salt content and is nitrate-free.
Giuseppe Di Vita; Simone Blanc; Teresina Mancuso; Stefano Massaglia; Giovanni La Via; Mario D’Amico. Harmful Compounds and Willingness to Buy for Reduced-Additives Salami. An Outlook on Italian Consumers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 2605 .
AMA StyleGiuseppe Di Vita, Simone Blanc, Teresina Mancuso, Stefano Massaglia, Giovanni La Via, Mario D’Amico. Harmful Compounds and Willingness to Buy for Reduced-Additives Salami. An Outlook on Italian Consumers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16 (14):2605.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiuseppe Di Vita; Simone Blanc; Teresina Mancuso; Stefano Massaglia; Giovanni La Via; Mario D’Amico. 2019. "Harmful Compounds and Willingness to Buy for Reduced-Additives Salami. An Outlook on Italian Consumers." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 14: 2605.
Gravitational hazards, such as rockfall, constitute a major risk in mountainous areas, threatening dwellers, goods, and infrastructures, and ultimately posing a challenge to their development. Ecosystem-based solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR), such as protection forests, can play a significant role in mitigating these risks by integrating the protective structures currently adopted, which are often costly and could entail higher environmental impacts. This study develops an economic model called ASFORESEE (Alpine Space FORest Ecosystem Services Economic Evaluation) to assess the protective service forests provide against rockfall within a standardized framework adopting a precautionary approach. The Replacement Cost approach was adopted, measuring the protection effectiveness, the need for protection of the stakeholders and defining a harmonized method for the design of the defensive structures. Applying the model to a case study in the Italian Alps, the results show the forest has a relevant protective effect able to fulfil the stakeholders’ needs, with a value of 30,440 € ha−1, equal to 950 € ha−1 year−1, within the 25-year timespan considered. ASFORESEE could feasibly be adopted in other mountainous contexts, due to its harmonized structure reliant on minimal assumptions. Its adoption would foster the acknowledgment of the forest role and to further support the inclusion of Eco-DRR in local risk management plans.
Cristian Accastello; Ettore Bianchi; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. ASFORESEE: A Harmonized Model for Economic Evaluation of Forest Protection against Rockfall. Forests 2019, 10, 578 .
AMA StyleCristian Accastello, Ettore Bianchi, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun. ASFORESEE: A Harmonized Model for Economic Evaluation of Forest Protection against Rockfall. Forests. 2019; 10 (7):578.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristian Accastello; Ettore Bianchi; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. 2019. "ASFORESEE: A Harmonized Model for Economic Evaluation of Forest Protection against Rockfall." Forests 10, no. 7: 578.
The challenge of developing a sustainable production system includes the reduction of emissions, the efficient use of resources, and the transition to renewable energy. The bioeconomy proposes a development model aimed at reducing impacts and risks associated with the use of non-renewable resources considering the life cycle of products. The European Union is promoting products from renewable sources focused on biochemicals and bio-based plastics, which are high added value products when compared to biofuels. The aim of this paper is to consider sustainability in terms of the environmental, economic, and social aspects of use of bio-based plastics in the fruit chain, considering the case study of raspberry supply chains in northwestern Italy. Different analyses (life-cycle assessment (LCA), life-cycle costing (LCC), and externality assessment (ExA)) were used to assess the impacts along the whole chain by means of an integrated approach. The results show that the bio-based plastic scenario has lower environmental and social impacts than the conventional one, whereas the latter is the best choice according to a classic economic approach. The introduction of bio-based plastics as a replacement for traditional plastics in agri-food chains is the first step toward the use of renewable resources with a low impact on society.
Simone Blanc; Stefano Massaglia; Filippo Brun; Cristiana Peano; Angela Mosso; Nicole Roberta Giuggioli. Use of Bio-Based Plastics in the Fruit Supply Chain: An Integrated Approach to Assess Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2475 .
AMA StyleSimone Blanc, Stefano Massaglia, Filippo Brun, Cristiana Peano, Angela Mosso, Nicole Roberta Giuggioli. Use of Bio-Based Plastics in the Fruit Supply Chain: An Integrated Approach to Assess Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (9):2475.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimone Blanc; Stefano Massaglia; Filippo Brun; Cristiana Peano; Angela Mosso; Nicole Roberta Giuggioli. 2019. "Use of Bio-Based Plastics in the Fruit Supply Chain: An Integrated Approach to Assess Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability." Sustainability 11, no. 9: 2475.
Common wheat, a fundamental commodity on international markets, is increasingly differentiated into commercial types on domestic markets to meet the demand of processing companies. Improver wheat, biscuit wheat, ordinary and superior bread-making wheat are commercial varieties with specific technological characteristics. Wheat farming systems are constantly evolving, and as a result, related environmental issues emerge. We applied an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) analysis, where the functional unit was 1 tonne of grain for each typology and system boundaries were from cradle to farm gate. Primary data were used in the study, and special attention was paid to fertiliser use. From an LCA perspective, our findings show that nitrogen (N) plays an essential role in plant production although producing different waterborne and airborne emissions and nitrate leaching, for the 4 commercial typologies studied. Furthermore, the impact can be differentiated based on the technological features of the commercial types. Our results led us to observe that the four wheat types show contrasting economic and environmental performances.
Teresina Mancuso; Tibor Verduna; Simone Blanc; Giuseppe Di Vita; Filippo Brun. Environmental sustainability and economic matters of commercial types of common wheat. Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika) 2019, 65, 194 -202.
AMA StyleTeresina Mancuso, Tibor Verduna, Simone Blanc, Giuseppe Di Vita, Filippo Brun. Environmental sustainability and economic matters of commercial types of common wheat. Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika). 2019; 65 (No. 4):194-202.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeresina Mancuso; Tibor Verduna; Simone Blanc; Giuseppe Di Vita; Filippo Brun. 2019. "Environmental sustainability and economic matters of commercial types of common wheat." Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika) 65, no. No. 4: 194-202.
In recent decades, processed meat consumers have drastically revised their consumption patterns and have gained an increasing awareness of related health concerns. Although several studies have examined the role of meat products in the human diet, we observed a certain scarcity in the multi-perspective approach to the health implications of cocked ham. Therefore, we decided to verify different sources of potentially unhealthy constituents by simultaneously analysing the role that saturated fats, salt and nitrites play in consumer perception. The purpose of this paper was to investigate consumer preferences for healthier processed meat, in particular the specific objective of this study was to evaluate the balance between intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics and the components or additives that could pose a risk to the health of consumers, by considering the sensory and marketing characteristics involved in the choice of cooked ham. With these aims, two different analyses on stated preferences were carried out: firstly, a principal component analysis was performed to identify the main consumer attitudes towards meat products; subsequently, a conjoint analysis was carried out in order to identify the descriptive attributes. The results show that the presence of high salt content and nitrites discourage the intention to purchase, as the presence of a high fat content also does, however at the same time, consumers attach importance to taste, colour and juiciness that are strongly influenced by the above mentioned potentially unhealthy compounds. The overall results are strongly consistent with previous studies but evidence a certain dichotomy between sensory properties and health attributes.
Giuseppe Di Vita; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun; Salvatore Bracco; Mario D'Amico. Quality attributes and harmful components of cured meats: Exploring the attitudes of Italian consumers towards healthier cooked ham. Meat Science 2019, 155, 8 -15.
AMA StyleGiuseppe Di Vita, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun, Salvatore Bracco, Mario D'Amico. Quality attributes and harmful components of cured meats: Exploring the attitudes of Italian consumers towards healthier cooked ham. Meat Science. 2019; 155 ():8-15.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiuseppe Di Vita; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun; Salvatore Bracco; Mario D'Amico. 2019. "Quality attributes and harmful components of cured meats: Exploring the attitudes of Italian consumers towards healthier cooked ham." Meat Science 155, no. : 8-15.
The impact of agricultural practices and the excess application of nitrogen can negatively impact the environment and cause human health problems. In Spain, the liquid manure applied in areas of intensive agriculture is creating groundwater nitrate pollution problems. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the economic profitability of agroforestry practices in North East Spain. Therefore, it deals with an alternative land use that has attracted attention in recent years, considering its potential to reduce the negative impact of modern agriculture that combines concurrent forestry and agricultural production in the same area. Specifically, silvoarable practices, such as alley cropping (AC), edge row planting and riparian buffer (RB) strips were compared to conventional agricultural land use. Considering the current agricultural policy framework in Spain, which does not favour these practices, our results showed the economic profitability of alley-cropping practices in comparison to conventional barley production of 25 to 64 € ha-1 yr-1. However, AC systems presented negative results compared to the traditional wheat crop (-122 to -63 € ha-1 yr-1). The results for RB strips were strongly influenced by the high initial costs, both in irrigated and non-irrigated scenarios. Economic results were negative (between -137 and -85 € ha-1 yr-1) compared to the conventional crops, barley and corn. These figures could be greatly increased with a policy framework that promotes these practices based on the fundamental ecosystem services they provide. Moreover, these practices allow an economic diversification that could prove to be beneficial for the majority of farmers.
Simone Blanc; Carles M. Gasol; Julia Martínez-Blanco; Pere Muñoz; Jaime Coello; Pere Casals; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun. Economic profitability of agroforestry in nitrate vulnerable zones in Catalonia (NE Spain). Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 2019, 17, e0101 .
AMA StyleSimone Blanc, Carles M. Gasol, Julia Martínez-Blanco, Pere Muñoz, Jaime Coello, Pere Casals, Angela Mosso, Filippo Brun. Economic profitability of agroforestry in nitrate vulnerable zones in Catalonia (NE Spain). Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research. 2019; 17 (1):e0101.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimone Blanc; Carles M. Gasol; Julia Martínez-Blanco; Pere Muñoz; Jaime Coello; Pere Casals; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun. 2019. "Economic profitability of agroforestry in nitrate vulnerable zones in Catalonia (NE Spain)." Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 17, no. 1: e0101.
Mountainous areas are expected to face increasing societal pressure due to mass tourism and the rising intensity and frequency of natural hazards triggered by climate change. Therefore, the development of proper strategies for the management of environmental risks will be crucial to ensure their liveability. Against this backdrop, concepts such as territorial resilience and Social–Ecological Systems (SES) can support the prioritisation of protective efforts. This paper presents a conceptual framework to be applied to areas subject to natural hazards. Its aim is to support the integration of different measures, with a special focus on protection forests and other Nature-based Solutions, into current risk management strategies. The framework considers (i) the definition of SES boundaries; (ii) the identification of the main goals to be achieved; (iii) the quantification of the supply and demand of the ecosystem protection service; and (iv) the development of risk management strategies able to include the management of protection forests among the adopted solutions. This framework is intended as a tool to be adopted by local and regional decision-makers as a tool to identify the areas at risk, to recognise the potential role of protection forests, and to operationalise the concept of resilience through the deployment of “grey-green” strategies.
Cristian Accastello; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. A Framework for the Integration of Nature-Based Solutions into Environmental Risk Management Strategies. Sustainability 2019, 11, 489 .
AMA StyleCristian Accastello, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun. A Framework for the Integration of Nature-Based Solutions into Environmental Risk Management Strategies. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (2):489.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristian Accastello; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. 2019. "A Framework for the Integration of Nature-Based Solutions into Environmental Risk Management Strategies." Sustainability 11, no. 2: 489.
Aside from the provision of food and resources, the ecosystem functions supply humanity a wide array of services. Hazard reduction is one of these, and its value for communities is gaining rising attention. In the Alpine Space, rockfall and avalanches occur frequently and cause considerable damage, but are significantly mitigated by mountain ecosystems, mainly mountain forests. How to account this service in monetary terms is a current issue and several studies were undertaken with this purpose. This literature review provides a comprehensive overview depicting a “state of the art” of economic evaluation of this ecosystem service, noting their main features, approaches and results. Currently, a common background still does not exist and different studies developed a variety of methods to be adopted, both cost and preference based. We intend this review as a contribution to the increasing awareness of forests as a cost-efficient part of natural hazard management strategies in the Alpine Space.
Ettore Bianchi; Cristian Accastello; Daniel Trappmann; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. The Economic Evaluation of Forest Protection Service Against Rockfall: A Review of Experiences and Approaches. Ecological Economics 2018, 154, 409 -418.
AMA StyleEttore Bianchi, Cristian Accastello, Daniel Trappmann, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun. The Economic Evaluation of Forest Protection Service Against Rockfall: A Review of Experiences and Approaches. Ecological Economics. 2018; 154 ():409-418.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEttore Bianchi; Cristian Accastello; Daniel Trappmann; Simone Blanc; Filippo Brun. 2018. "The Economic Evaluation of Forest Protection Service Against Rockfall: A Review of Experiences and Approaches." Ecological Economics 154, no. : 409-418.
The aim of this study was to investigate the interest of forestry workers, who operate in the Western Italian Alps, in training courses on entrepreneurial issues. The proposed courses would address the “management skills” suggested in the FAO “Guide to good practice in contract labour in forestry”. These skills are essential in increasing the competitiveness of companies operating in the timber sector and especially for small forestry enterprises that are more susceptible to market fluctuations. The opinions of 367 forestry workers were collected via a survey. Their answers show a high level of interest in technical topics, such as workplace safety and work organization, but less interest in management topics, such as accounting or taxation. We also investigated their preferences concerning educational techniques, and the results show a strong preference for traditional methods, such as face-to-face classes, compared to e-learning. We attempted to identify the elements that influenced the respondents’ attitudes towards entrepreneurial training using an ordinal logistic regression. The results indicate that the most interested respondents are young forestry workers or entrepreneurs with previous experience in training courses. In short, the findings show that the introduction of management training courses could be attractive for a large number of forestry workers. These results have particular relevance in the Western Italian Alps where 40% of surface is covered by forests and 3000 loggers work in the area.
Federico Lingua; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun; Simone Blanc. A Survey of Innovative Training Preferences Among Italian Loggers. Small-scale Forestry 2018, 18, 21 -38.
AMA StyleFederico Lingua, Angela Mosso, Filippo Brun, Simone Blanc. A Survey of Innovative Training Preferences Among Italian Loggers. Small-scale Forestry. 2018; 18 (1):21-38.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Lingua; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun; Simone Blanc. 2018. "A Survey of Innovative Training Preferences Among Italian Loggers." Small-scale Forestry 18, no. 1: 21-38.
In the Piedmont region, in North-West Italy, the abundance of unmanaged woods has led to negative environmental and economic consequences, generating a decrease in the ecosystem services supplied and in the provision of low-value timber products. In this context, increased logging activities could create new development opportunities for the rural areas in which most of the abandoned stands are situated. This work analyses a forest harvest by creating a model to evaluate its timber value. The economic results were analysed to investigate the structural and logistic factors influencing the profitability of a harvest. The results obtained revealed that a small profit margin is achievable for small local logging companies, even if strongly influenced by the hourly costs of labourers. To quantify the influence of each factor of the model on the timber value, a sensitivity analysis was performed. Then, to test the robustness of the results a Monte Carlo simulation was carried out simultaneously varying the factors involved. Finally, a scenario analysis was performed, in which the standard conditions referring to the most common private forest company typologies were examined. Overall, these methods were found to be suitable for our aims and capable of supplying important results to analyse a forest harvest from an economic perspective.
Cristian Accastello; Simone Blanc; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun. Assessing the timber value: A case study in the Italian Alps. Forest Policy and Economics 2018, 93, 36 -44.
AMA StyleCristian Accastello, Simone Blanc, Angela Mosso, Filippo Brun. Assessing the timber value: A case study in the Italian Alps. Forest Policy and Economics. 2018; 93 ():36-44.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristian Accastello; Simone Blanc; Angela Mosso; Filippo Brun. 2018. "Assessing the timber value: A case study in the Italian Alps." Forest Policy and Economics 93, no. : 36-44.
Public participation has become an important driver in increasing public acceptance of policy decisions, especially in the forestry sector, where conflicting interests among the actors are frequent. Stakeholder Analysis, complemented by Social Network Analysis techniques, was used to support the participatory process and to understand the complex relationships and the strong interactions among actors. This study identifies the forestry training sector stakeholders in the Western Italian Alps and describes their characteristics and priorities, in relation to training activities on entrepreneurial topics for forestry loggers. The hierarchy among actors has been identified, highlighting their respective roles and influence in decision-making processes. A lack of mutual communication among different and well-separated categories of actors has been identified, while good connections between stakeholders, operating in different territories, despite the presence of administrative and logistical barriers, have been observed. Training is a topic involving actors with different roles and interests. Nevertheless, all actors consider training about how to improve yields of forest operations and how to assess investments, particularly in innovative machinery, to be crucially important and conducive to a better comprehension of the wood supply chain and the enhancement of the raw material.
Simone Blanc; Federico Lingua; Livio Bioglio; Ruggero G. Pensa; Filippo Brun; Angela Mosso. Implementing Participatory Processes in Forestry Training Using Social Network Analysis Techniques. Forests 2018, 9, 463 .
AMA StyleSimone Blanc, Federico Lingua, Livio Bioglio, Ruggero G. Pensa, Filippo Brun, Angela Mosso. Implementing Participatory Processes in Forestry Training Using Social Network Analysis Techniques. Forests. 2018; 9 (8):463.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimone Blanc; Federico Lingua; Livio Bioglio; Ruggero G. Pensa; Filippo Brun; Angela Mosso. 2018. "Implementing Participatory Processes in Forestry Training Using Social Network Analysis Techniques." Forests 9, no. 8: 463.