IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i6p3292-d768979.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The EU Mountain Product Voluntary Quality Term as a Valorization Tool for Livestock Farms: Challenges and Opportunities in an Alpine Context

Author

Listed:
  • Francesco Pagliacci

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy)

  • Leonardo Cei

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy)

  • Edi Defrancesco

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy)

  • Paola Gatto

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy)

Abstract

European mountain areas have experienced a persistent loss of agricultural land and economic activities over time, with negative effects from both an environmental and a cultural perspective. In 2012, the European Union devised the mountain product (MP) quality term to provide to mountain producers a tool to better market their products and thus increase their income. In this article, we tried to understand what the current challenges and opportunities are concerning this quality term, focusing on meat products in the Italian Alpine context. To this end, interviews were conducted with producers who are allowed to use the term on meat in this area and with regional persons in charge of the food quality policy. The SWOT analysis performed on the results of these interviews highlights that the lack of stringent requirements and simple bureaucratic procedures are the main strengths of this tool, while the interest of consumers in mountain products is a factor that can stimulate the spread of its use. However, four crucial needs should be addressed, namely increasing consumers’ awareness of MP, providing information on MP to producers, increasing the protection of the term and developing a more collaborative approach among producers.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco Pagliacci & Leonardo Cei & Edi Defrancesco & Paola Gatto, 2022. "The EU Mountain Product Voluntary Quality Term as a Valorization Tool for Livestock Farms: Challenges and Opportunities in an Alpine Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3292-:d:768979
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3292/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3292/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mikael Oliveira Linder & Katia Laura Sidali & Gesa Busch, 2021. "Mountain beef and wine: Italian consumers? definitions and opinions on the mountain labelling-scheme," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 23(1), pages 1-39.
    2. Oliveira Linder, Mikael & Sidali, Katia Laura & Busch, Gesa, 2021. "Mountain beef and wine: Italian consumers’ definitions and opinions on the mountain labelling-scheme," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 23(1), May.
    3. Fabien Santini & Fatmir Guri & Sergio Gomez y Paloma, 2013. "Labelling of agricultural and food products of mountain farming," JRC Research Reports JRC77119, Joint Research Centre.
    4. Daniel Pick, 2008. "Geographical Indications and the Competitive Provision of Quality in Agricultural Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(3), pages 794-812.
    5. Alessandro Bonadonna & Giovanni Peira & Chiara Giachino & Luana Molinaro, 2017. "Traditional Cheese Production and an EU Labeling Scheme: The Alpine Cheese Producers’ Opinion," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-13, August.
    6. Chiara Mazzocchi & Luigi Orsi & Guido Sali, 2021. "Consumers’ Attitudes for Sustainable Mountain Cheese," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.
    7. Chiara Mazzocchi & Guido Sali, 2022. "Supporting mountain agriculture through “mountain product” label: a choice experiment approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 701-723, January.
    8. Helena Resano & Ana Isabel Sanjuán, 2018. "Exploring the Role of Mountain Origin and Autochthonous Breed on Urban Consumers’ Acceptability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, November.
    9. Dyson, Robert G., 2004. "Strategic development and SWOT analysis at the University of Warwick," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(3), pages 631-640, February.
    10. Caroline Pecher & Maria Bacher & Erich Tasser & Ulrike Tappeiner, 2018. "Agricultural landscapes between intensification and abandonment: the expectations of the public in a Central-Alpine cross-border region," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(3), pages 428-442, April.
    11. George A. Akerlof, 1970. "The Market for "Lemons": Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(3), pages 488-500.
    12. Cei, Leonardo & Stefani, Gianluca & Defrancesco, Edi, 2021. "How do local factors shape the regional adoption of geographical indications in Europe? Evidences from France, Italy and Spain," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    13. Ivan Paunović & Verka Jovanović, 2017. "Implementation of Sustainable Tourism in the German Alps: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, February.
    14. Thomas Dax & Dachang Zhang & Yanying Chen, 2019. "Agritourism Initiatives in the Context of Continuous Out-Migration: Comparative Perspectives for the Alps and Chinese Mountain Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
    15. Zago, Angelo M. & Pick, Daniel H., 2004. "Labeling Policies in Food Markets: Private Incentives, Public Intervention, and Welfare Effects," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 29(1), pages 1-16, April.
    16. Tabita Adamov & Ramona Ciolac & Tiberiu Iancu & Ioan Brad & Elena Peț & Gabriela Popescu & Laura Șmuleac, 2020. "Sustainability of Agritourism Activity. Initiatives and Challenges in Romanian Mountain Rural Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-23, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Teresa Paiva & Paula Coutinho, 2023. "Meat Value Chain Contribution to Territory Sustainability—The Case of Autochthonous Bovine Jarmelista’s Breed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Chiara Mazzocchi & Guido Sali, 2022. "Tourists’ Perception of Ecosystem Services Provided by Mountain Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Giacomo Staffolani & Deborah Bentivoglio & Adele Finco, 2022. "Consumers’ Purchasing Determinants Towards Mountain Food Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-15, July.
    4. Leonardo Cei & Edi Defrancesco & Paola Gatto & Francesco Pagliacci, 2023. "Pay more for me, I’m from the mountains! The role of the EU Mountain Product term and other credence attributes in consumers’ valuation of lamb meat," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giacomo Staffolani & Deborah Bentivoglio & Adele Finco, 2022. "Consumers’ Purchasing Determinants Towards Mountain Food Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Leonardo Cei & Edi Defrancesco & Paola Gatto & Francesco Pagliacci, 2023. "Pay more for me, I’m from the mountains! The role of the EU Mountain Product term and other credence attributes in consumers’ valuation of lamb meat," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, December.
    3. Luisa Menapace & GianCarlo Moschini, 2012. "Quality certification by geographical indications, trademarks and firm reputation," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 39(4), pages 539-566, September.
    4. Alessandro Bonadonna & Stefano Duglio & Luigi Bollani & Giovanni Peira, 2022. "Mountain Food Products: A Cluster Analysis Based on Young Consumers’ Perceptions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-14, September.
    5. Jean‐Sauveur Ay, 2021. "The Informational Content of Geographical Indications," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(2), pages 523-542, March.
    6. Jianyu Yu & Zohra Bouamra-Mechemache & Angelo Zago, 2018. "What is in a Name? Information, Heterogeneity, and Quality in a Theory of Nested Names," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(1), pages 286-310.
    7. Tauber, Ramona & Anders, Sven M. & Langinier, Corinne, 2011. "The Economics of Geographical Indications: Welfare Implications," Working Papers 103262, Structure and Performance of Agriculture and Agri-products Industry (SPAA).
    8. Jena, Pradyot R. & Grote, Ulrike, 2012. "Impact Evaluation of Traditional Basmati Rice Cultivation in Uttarakhand State of Northern India: What Implications Does It Hold for Geographical Indications?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(9), pages 1895-1907.
    9. Ngokkuen, Chuthaporn & Grote, Ulrike, 2012. "Geographical Indication for Jasmine Rice: Applying a Logit Model to Predict Adoption Behavior of Thai Farm Households," Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, Humboldt-Universitaat zu Berlin, vol. 51(2), pages 1-29, May.
    10. Olivier Bonroy & Christos Constantatos, 2015. "On the Economics of Labels: How Their Introduction Affects the Functioning of Markets and the Welfare of All Participants," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 97(1), pages 239-259.
    11. Teuber, Ramona, 2011. "Protecting Geographical Indications: Lessons learned from the Economic Literature," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 116081, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Daniela Benavente, 2010. "The Economics of Geographical Indications: GIs Modelled As Club Assets," IHEID Working Papers 10-2010, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    13. Costanigro, Marco & Scozzafava, Gabriele & Casini, Leonardo, 2019. "Vertical differentiation via multi-tier geographical indications and the consumer perception of quality: The case of Chianti wines," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 246-259.
    14. Daniela Benavente, 2010. "Geographical Indications: The Economics of Claw-Back," IHEID Working Papers 11-2010, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    15. repec:gbl:wpaper:2013-01 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Marion Desquilbet & Sylvette Monier-Dilhan, 2015. "Are geographical indications a worthy quality label? A framework with endogenous quality choice," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 42(1), pages 129-150.
    17. Alieh Abadi & Mehdi Khakzand, 2022. "Extracting the qualitative dimensions of agritourism for the sustainable development of Charqoli village in Iran: the promotion of vernacular entrepreneurship and environment-oriented preservation per," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(11), pages 12609-12671, November.
    18. Luisa Menapace & Gregory Colson & Carola Grebitus & Maria Facendola, 2011. "Consumers' preferences for geographical origin labels: evidence from the Canadian olive oil market," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 38(2), pages 193-212, June.
    19. Ivana Bassi & Matteo Carzedda & Enrico Gori & Luca Iseppi, 2022. "Rasch analysis of consumer attitudes towards the mountain product label," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-25, December.
    20. Langinier Corinne & Babcock Bruce A., 2008. "Agricultural Production Clubs: Viability and Welfare Implications," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1), pages 1-31, December.
    21. Alexander E. Saak, 2011. "A Model of Labeling with Horizontal Differentiation and Cost Variability," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 93(4), pages 1131-1150.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3292-:d:768979. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.