The fruit and vegetable (FV) sector has a relevant and increasing economic value in the EU, accounting for about 20% of the total value of agricultural production; the countries with higher significance are Greece, Spain, and Italy (from 25% to 35%). Nevertheless, producers are negatively affected by structural problems related to the small size of the farms and their inability to concentrate and promote production. In order to improve producers' competitive conditions, the 2007 reform of the Common Market Organization for fruit and vegetables provides measures in favor of growers who are members of Producer Organizations (POs). Still, the evaluation of PO effectiveness is ambiguous. For instance, the value of production marketed by POs as a share of total production of the member states varies considerably across the EU countries. This article carries out a comparative study of the capability of POs to concentrate supply and promote the production of their members in three important producing countries: Italy, Spain, and France. The analysis is based on operational programs prepared by POs to obtain financial aid from the European Commission and considers production value distribution and composition, marketing channels (supermarkets, wholesale, small retail, and processing), and measures provided to support farmers in production, marketing, and the protection of the environment. A descriptive statistics analysis and an empirical regression model are used.

This study investigates the factors affecting the inter-organizational relationships and governance of firms in agri-food supply chains and assesses the influence that the current conditions of vertical coordination have on the economic performance of these firms. Research hypotheses describing the causal effects between the environment, product characteristics, inter-organizational relationships, relational governance, and firm economic performance are formulated and tested using a structural equation modeling approach. Data were gathered from a questionnaire administered via a direct survey to both farmers and processors in a traditional high-quality dairy sheep supply chain in the Italian region of Sardinia: the Pecorino Romano Protected Designation of Origin. Results point out the role of informal contractual arrangements in this local production system characterized by social cohesion, entailing higher product quality and better economic performance. Further, the study highlights the role of trust as a key variable for attaining collaborative paths along the agri-food supply chain, particularly between farmers and processors.