Alongside the devolution of decision-making powers to Member States, the latest reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced CAP Strategic Plans to enhance the design and implementation of increasingly complex policy objectives and to reinforce the use of evidence-based policymaking (EBPM). This paper is based on desk research, combining a comparative review of European Union (EU) regulations and programming documents, and insights from the Tools4CAP project, which conducted interviews, surveys, and focus groups across Member States. The gaps in strategic planning are evident in the weak logical connection between individual phases of CSP preparation and the weak evidence-based justification of decisions regarding the selection and design of interventions. Quantitative tools and scientific evidence were underutilised, while political-economy constraints and path dependency dominated decision-making. As a result, CAP Strategic Plans were often developed through a series of disconnected tasks, producing documents with loosely linked sections lacking overall coherence. The upcoming integration of CAP planning into broader National and Regional Partnership Plans may simplify procedures but risks weakening EBPM principles. Systematic integration of science into planning, methodology development, interdisciplinarity, and better communication between researchers and decision-makers are needed to realise the ideal concept of EBPM. Institutional capacities for the use of evidence need to be strengthened, mandatory impact assessments and open data platforms introduced, and dialogue between science and policy enhanced. The limitations include reliance on secondary data and qualitative insights rather than detailed empirical evaluation across all Member States.
Agricultural supply response is critical to economic development, particularly in a climate change scenario. This study uses a two-step generalised method of moments approach to examine the supply response of sugarcane to climatic and market factors in Pakistan from 1951 to 2010. The findings reveal a complex dynamic between cultivated area and yield, influenced by speculative behaviours, climatic conditions, regional research and development policies, and production factors. The results emphasise the importance of strategic resource allocation to mitigate climate impacts, develop drought-resistant varieties, subsidise farm inputs, enhance advisory services, and research and development funding to support sugarcane intensification and biodiversity protection.
This article presents a historical analysis of the evolution of the vending machine industry and its impact on consumer eating habits in Italy and the United States. Specifically, this paper traces its origins from an initial vision of an automatic age in which machines would replace traditional sales channels to their position as a significant auxiliary service in the present day. The vending industry is now predominantly associated with ‘junk food’ and impulse purchases, but this work opens new avenues for additional studies and suggests that this narrative is about to change. Driven by greater consumer awareness of issues such as sustainability and well-being, the industry is currently moving towards more social and health-conscious aspects. The integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the emergence of micromarkets have the potential to transform machines from ‘silent salesmen’ into ‘smart salesmen’.
The impact of demographic decline on the allocation of policy instruments and public funding across territories has received limited attention. This study therefore identifies the key variables that influence the uptake of EU policies to clarify the conditions that may hinder the participation of declining territories in public programmes. This research is the first to jointly consider EU cohesion policy – through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) – and rural development policy, financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). A territorial typology of municipalities was adopted based on the EUROSTAT degree of urbanisation (DEGURBA) classification of urban–rural boundaries, combined with long-term demographic trends. This typology makes it possible to capture the differences between urban and rural areas, as well as the heterogeneity within each group. We examined the influence of territorial typology and other explanatory variables on per capita spending under ERDF, ESF and EAFRD using spatial autoregressive models. The results reveal that demographic decline significantly undermines the capacity of rural areas to attract EU policies, as it progressively erodes the institutional strength of local authorities and the entrepreneurial ability of private actors to undertake investments and safeguard territorial capital over time.
This paper analyses the state of innovation in Italian agriculture, with a particular focus on southern areas, and examines the evolution of European Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) policies over the last 15 years. Using data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) Agricultural Census and Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN)-derived indicators, this study highlights a markedly low propensity for innovation among farms in southern Italy, linked to structural weaknesses; limited digitalisation; and suboptimal performance across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Despite these challenges, regional policy strategies appear largely uniform throughout Italy, showing little adaptation to the specific needs of lagging areas. The review of rural development interventions illustrates persistent difficulties in implementing advisory services, contrasted with stronger uptake and better financial performance of innovation-oriented measures, particularly Operational Groups under the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability. The Italian Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 introduces mechanisms to strengthen system coordination and enhance advisory and knowledge-exchange functions; however, budget allocations remain modest, especially in southern Italy. In conclusion, fragmentation within the Italian AKIS, coupled with cautious regional programming, risks perpetuating existing disparities and limiting the agricultural sector’s capacity to address structural, environmental, and competitiveness challenges.
Cooperatives have long been central to the European wine sector, yet comprehensive national‑level analyses of their performance determinants remain scarce. This study investigates the financial and economic drivers of Italian wine cooperative performance using a fixed‑effects panel framework on an unbalanced sample of 452 entities over the 2021-2023 period. The analysis tests the effects of cooperative size (total assets, turnover), internal financing capacity (cash flow), capital structure (financial autonomy, debt‑to-equity ratio), and liquidity ratios (current, quick) on both earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) and return on sales (ROS). The findings indicate that the cooperative size significantly influences performance. Estimates for cash flow and financial autonomy indicate that the internal financing capacity is a key driver of cooperative performance. The results underscore the relevance of governance and managerial structures in optimising resource allocation and liquidity management to harness cooperative principles without compromising competitiveness. Overall, this study provides actionable insights for policymakers and cooperative boards aiming to foster sustainable growth in the evolving wine market.
Mountain areas are exposed to multiple risks due to the complex interactions between environmental, social, and economic factors. This paper aims to assess the environmental vulnerability of mountain areas through a synthetic indicator and to identify the drivers of such vulnerability at the local level. It uses a multidimensional and spatial approach to define the main dimensions of vulnerability based on municipal data. Furthermore, a geographically weighted regression model is used to investigate the drivers of vulnerability. The results show that mountain areas are less environmentally fragile than lowland and hilly regions but have higher demographic, social, and economic vulnerability. However, southern mountains are more fragile due to the lower presence of protected areas and forest cover. The spatial model also reveals a trade-off between environmental preservation and demographic, social, and economic characteristics. These findings should be carefully considered in light of place-based planning strategies and policies in mountain areas, particularly in southern Italy.
This paper investigates the persistence of territorial disparities in agricultural income across Italian macro-regions, with a particular focus on the role of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Drawing on the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) dataset, this study develops and applies a set of income indicators to examine whether CAP support has contributed to narrowing or widening regional agricultural income gaps at the farm level. The results confirm that despite the redistribution efforts embedded in the CAP, especially through the internal convergence mechanism, the agricultural income gap between North and South Italy has persisted and, in some cases, widened. Regression analyses at the farm level reveal that CAP support, though relatively higher in South Italy, has not sufficiently counterbalanced the lower market-based income. The findings suggest that while the CAP is not designed as a redistributive instrument, it has had a limited impact on fostering income convergence in agriculture. These results underscore the need for a more integrated and place-based policy mix to promote balanced development and to foster fair development in rural areas.
This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of women’s role in agriculture from a global perspective, with a particular focus on the Global South, emphasising the challenges women face. It identifies key research trends and thematic developments by analysing 3,304 records from the Web of Science database from 1991 to 2024 with the Biblioshiny app and the VOSviewer software. The findings reveal a notable increase in publications between 2022 and 2023, particularly in the Journal of Rural Studies and World Development. Influential authors, such as C. Leukefeld, R. Meinzen-Dick, and A. Quisumbing, are identified based on citation metrics (H-index and G-index). In the last decade, researchers from India and China have notably increased their focus in this field. Thematic mapping highlights core areas, including food security, rural development, and women’s empowerment, with emerging topics such as gender equity, climate change resilience, and agricultural productivity. The co-occurrence keyword network analysis underscores an intense research focus on women’s empowerment, particularly in the Global South. Additionally, analysis of the 50 most cited studies in the field reveals that regression analysis is the predominant research method used to explore complex relationships between variables, especially in the context of women’s empowerment and food security.
This note examines the state of carbon farming (CF) policies in the European Union (EU), highlighting their potential to deliver significant public benefits, such as improved soil health, air quality, and climate mitigation. The existing mechanisms for encouraging carbon sequestration and evaluating alternative support scenarios are assessed, starting from analysing the regulation on carbon sequestration certification adopted by the European Parliament and the Council following a proposal from the European Commission. This note analyses the integration of CF into the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) through cross-compliance measures, eco-schemes, and Rural Development programmes. Additionally, it explores potential CF support frameworks, including exclusive reliance on the first CAP pillar, the voluntary carbon market, and mixed approaches. The analysis highlights several trade-offs: balancing CAP budget limitations with the need for stronger environmental measures, mitigating market uncertainty in the voluntary carbon market, and ensuring that certification costs do not deter farmer participation. Despite these challenges, the findings suggest that including CF within CAP, either as an alternative or complement to the voluntary carbon credit market, could enhance carbon sequestration and align EU agriculture with climate neutrality goals, particularly when supported by a structured certification system.
Consumers consider the housing system to be a key factor that influences farm animal welfare (FAW). The European Food Safety Authority’s unfavourable assessment of tie-stall systems may encourage a shift towards adopting loose-housing practices. Several factors impact the likelihood of implementing practices aimed at improving FAW. This study evaluates some variables that affect the adoption of loose housing in Italian dairy farming, where the tie-stall system remains diffuse. We assessed socio-demographic, farm-related, and opinion variables that influence the intention to move from tie-stall to loose-housing system by means of a direct survey of 98 farmers who currently use the tie-stall system. The results indicate that gender, age, and financial considerations significantly influence the intention to adopt a loose-housing system. Additionally, the findings underscore the importance of farmers’ perceptions of improvements in animal welfare. The conclusions highlight the importance of the farmers’ sensitivity to FAW and their demand for subsidies to support structural changes.
The Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas (LTVRA) pointed out that rural areas require an appropriate form of governance to avoid fragmentation and ensure the integration of rural policies. Recently, Italian law stressed the importance of Food Districts (FDs), including Rural Districts (RDs), to cope with rural challenges. Under the network governance perspective, this article explores internal and external barriers and the contribution of RDs to the LTVRA in the Tuscany Region. Following a desk analysis, the findings provide an overview of the main interventions contributing to the ten goals set by the LTVRA through different paths. The case study exhibits the flexibility of RDs in terms of geographical areas, predominant specialisations, actors involved, and fields of action, which characterise a clear ambition to promote a network-based and inclusive approach to rural development. The article suggests further investigation into the development of monitoring frameworks capable of optimising the structure of RDs and decision-making processes, capitalising on the inclusive capability network governance models to account for the needs and development visions of local actors.
The digitalisation of agriculture is transforming production models, offering advanced tools for data management and operational efficiency. This study examines the impact of digital technologies, focusing on agricultural-pastoral farms as a case study, with particular attention to the social, economic, and environmental costs and benefits perceived by stakeholders. A living lab approach was used, involving farmers, technicians, animal science and ICT experts, and supply chain representatives to make a participatory evaluation of a co-designed Farm Management Information System. This study contributes to the literature by offering an insightful analysis of stakeholder-driven digitalisation processes in the agricultural sector. Results indicate no negative social or environmental externalities. Costs are classified as transition for user training, transaction for collaboratively developing the data-sharing and governance infrastructure, and operational for maintenance expenses and return on the public investment that funded its development. Social benefits include improved farmer well-being, reduced administrative burdens, and greater appeal for young farmers. Economic benefits involve increased productivity, enhanced management efficiency, cost reductions, and a higher market value. Environmental benefits arise from optimised resource use, less waste, and reduced antibiotic resistance. These findings highlight the potential of digitalisation to enhance production quality, animal welfare, and farm management, laying the foundation for broader benefits along the supply chain, aligned with the principles of sustainable digitalisation.
The purpose of this short communication is to draw attention to the issue of farmers’ perception of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments for the conservation of livestock biodiversity. We gathered data through semi-structured interviews with a sample of nine farmers located in north-western Italy (Lombardy and Piedmont). Based on these interviews, we identified the main challenges of the current subsidy mechanisms, including bureaucratic complexity, insufficient financial support, and concerns about long-term dependency. The farmers emphasised the need for policy refinements, such as the improved allocation of funds, active conservation strategies (e.g. genetic improvement programmes) and market-oriented solutions (e.g. niche product development). This study highlights a discernible gap between short-term subsidies and sustainable breed conservation, underscoring the significance of community-based approaches and consumer awareness in enhancing economic viability. The necessity for participatory policy and customised support to align conservation objectives with farmers’ socioeconomic realities is emphasised, offering insights into more effective agrobiodiversity conservation within the CAP.
The Anthropocene is an unprecedented geological period characterised by large-scale socio-ecological crises, including biodiversity loss, climate change, ocean acidification and irreversible deterioration of soil health, among others. These crises have created concerns among scientists, who are now openly discussing scenarios in which humanity will not be able to inhabit this planet and challenging how they can respond to these mounting challenges. Given this dramatic and contested context, in this essay we pose the following questions: what are the fields of knowledge we need (to collectively create) to solve the crises of a planet in chaos? What (type of) knowledge do we need? From whom and for whom? We tackle these questions by looking at the opportunity to collectively develop transdisciplinary knowledge that would help investigate sustainability transitions as ways in which humanity can respond to the socio-ecological challenges of the Anthropocene and to design systemic change. Among these transitions, we focus on circular and regenerative principles and look at the case of protein transitions as well as agroecology and circular food systems. This informs our discussion on the emergence of transdisciplinary pathways in which agricultural economists can and should have a key role.
Beef is a ‘deforestation risk’ commodity, and its production is environmentally challenging, given its exceptionally high carbon, water and land footprints. Europe is the world’s third largest beef producer, following Brazil and the United States. Under European Union law, firms operating along the beef value chain are required to disclose their sustainability-related activities by the regulation on due diligence. The aim of this study was to understand the extent and the factors that shape the adoption of environmental sustainability strategies in the European beef value chain. We collected original data on a sample of companies from Orbis and carried out a content analysis of firm websites and sustainability reports. We created an environmental sustainability index based on a list of 23 environmental practices. We also considered the company characteristics related to the disclosure of particularly interesting practices, such as feed methane control and manure management, and to the adoption of sustainability certifications. We performed a negative binomial hurdle regression analysis on a sample of 263 beef firms. We found that the value chain position of economic actors, firm size and risk identification are some of the firm characteristics related to the adoption of sustainability practices and certifications.
This study proposes a methodology for defining the relevant geographical market (RGM) for a geographical indication (GI) centred on its production zone. The model is inspired by von Thünen’s spatial model of land rent and assumes that various consumer-related variables decline as the distance from the production area increases. The model is applied to an Italian GI product, Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo, using data from a survey of 563 consumers located at varying distances from its production zone. Eight hypotheses are formulated and tested using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test for categorical variables and linear regression for continuous variables. The results substantiate the model’s validity, demonstrating a gradient for the tested variables (product familiarity, first consumption experience, purchasing frequency, relative consumption, willingness to pay, and price premium) in relation to the distance from the GI production zone. This study provides evidence of non-homogeneous spatial trends for these variables, suggesting that the shape of the RGM deviates from a circular pattern. The main contribution of this research is its novel approach to define the RGM for a GI with a market centred on the production zone. It provides valuable insights for producers and operators to develop effective marketing strategies tailored to different distances and directions from the production zone.
While public policy guidelines emphasise the need to consider sustainability issues as interconnected, policymakers often focus on specific problem areas. The concept of “policy mix” was introduced to highlight that adopting a single policy instrument is insufficient for effective territorial development and socio-technical transition. Starting with the need to foster a transition to sustainability and considering the synergies of a policy mix and the fundamental role of rural areas, this study aimed to explore the existing literature to determine the main topics on policy mixes in rural areas, the commonly used methodologies, the key features of policy mixes, and the suggested future research directions. This study was conducted using a scoping literature review and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology; it included 78 articles. This review revealed important gaps, such as the lack of ex-post evaluations of policies and assessments of governance impacts on policy mix implementation. This paper contributes to advancing the literature by helping the scientific community and policymakers understand the importance of implementing policy mixes.
This article discusses the evolutions that have taken place in agricultural and rural policy instruments since their first implementation in 1999. In particular, it will be underlined how the evolutions have been influenced by the concept of multifunctionality and the emergence of the new paradigm of rural development. Rural development represents an alternative to the agro-industrial and post-productivist paradigms. The consequence is the introduction of a territorial and multi-sectoral approach to rural development, starting from the centrality of agriculture as the main user of space, but focusing on the interrelationships between agriculture, the other socio-economic activities and the territory’s natural and environmental resources with a view to the co-production of all the actors (material and immaterial) involved. The second pillar of the CAP on rural development, introduced in 1999, has evolved from focusing primarily on economic objectives during its initial programming periods to incorporating a greater emphasis on environmental and social measures. It now serves as a bridge, linking agricultural policy with other policy areas. The second pillar remains a relevant policy today for two key reasons: the enduring importance and interest of European citizens in rural areas, and its ability to adapt to emerging economic, environmental, and social challenges.
