Luca Altamore

The Italian wine industry is strongly committed to sustainability. Among the numerous sustainability certifications and programs implemented in Italy for the wine sector, SOStain is the oldest at the regional level. The SOStain Foundation promotes the voluntary application of a sustainability program, developed in 2010 in Sicily (Southern Italy). The requirements of the SOStain specifications are connected to the new CAP 2023–2027 objectives; therefore, companies preparing for the new challenges of future winemaking might be interested in joining the SOStain Foundation for greening production practices. The objective of this study was to learn producers’ and consumers’ opinions about motivations, real/perceived difficulties, cost, and positive effects of the SOStain certification, as well as their intentions to make ethical choices and their willingness to spend more for a Sicilian sparkling wine with the SOStain certification. A census of producers combined with a consumer survey a...

Consumption patterns have considerably changed over recent years. We are witnessing more and more frequently to a lack of information (i.e. information asymmetry) between food producers and consumers, this generate in the consumer the latter need to access information related to processes of production of food and food distribution. Decisionmaking, in absence of further information, leads consumers to pay attention to food labeling. Food labels become the only tool for consumers to acquire additional information about products in order to make the purchase decision. In today\u2019s modern and globalized market, labels limitations can be partially overcome by using Mobile Marketing tools, such as the QR Code (Quick Response Code). Therefore the objective of this study is: (1) categorize profiles of consumers according to the importance given to various information patterns shown on food labeling; (2) discover consumer behaviors when making a purchasing decision based on food informat...

Il comparto olivicolo-oleario rappresenta una risorsa importante dell''agricoltura della Regione Sicilia. Il presente lavoro analizza gli aspetti tecnico-economici dei nuovi modelli olivicoli presenti nella regione, ed effettua un confronto con quelli tradizionali. Lo studio mette in evidenza la debolezza economica di molte imprese olivicole. Solo un processo di valorizzazione delle produzioni, infatti, garantisce un maggior valore aggiunto

Traceability of food products plays an important role in improving value chain processes of businesses and their reputation in the marketplace. In the past few years, consumers' concerns about food quality and personal health have been closely related to a continuous improvement of traceability systems and government regulation. Labeling of food products is a very important tool for consumers to acquire information about the quality of food, particularly at the purchase decision stage of the buying process. The objective of this research is to know consumers' preferences in regards to information contained in food labels. More particularly, this study focuses on what information is required by consumers on labels of food, highlighting groups of similar preferences. The interviews were carried out by telephone in two cities of north and south Italy (Milan and Palermo) on a sample of consumers extracted by stratified sampling. Cluster Analysis was performed. Results show a num...

Wine Influencers (WIs) represent a new type of independent third party endorsers that are progressively establishing themselves within social networks. This study analyzes the characteristics of the activity of WIs and the communication model used via Instagram. Netnographic Analysis, Factor Analysis and AGIL methods were applied. The results show five Key-findings within specific relationships established during discussions: advice from Wine Influencers and generalized reciprocity in relationships; structural and social bonds established based on the frequency of messages from regular followers; peer-to-peer relationship development through recommendation; development of trust established through online relationships; wine influencer’s influence on followers regarding everything about the wine. The study derives a model that explains the communication dimensions used by WIs that are: advertising (information about product/brand) (35.71%); persuasion—added value to brand and product...

Currently, consumers appear to have diversified characteristics with regard to food tastes and consumption habits. The globalization of markets and the migration phenomenon contributed to the modification of food preferences of consumers who gradually introduce into their eating habits foods and recipes typical of the tradition of foreign countries. In this scenario, also in Italy, it is going to increase the use of “foreign products” with the consequent fusion of traditional cuisine techniques and recipes with ingredients that are typical of foreign countries and cultures. Foods and ingredients originally consumed in Asian or South American countries are increasingly consumed by Italian people, who have notoriously a strong “food identity,” who generally follow the Mediterranean Diet, and who consume typical products of the country. More particularly, the use of “new” or “novel” spices compared to those traditionally used in the preparation of Italian food has grown in the last 10 ...

Demand for food in developed countries is nowadays moving towards increasing contents of quality requisites. A large part of consumers lives in cities and demand for tasty and healthy food but pays also attention to environmental concerns and cultural references, to express their own lifestyles and ethical values. Agriculture can therefore increase income and employment through the supply of a wide range of valuable goods and services related with the countryside and the environment. As an effect of climate and environmental conditions, pasta made by Sicilian durum wheat, can be considered safer and healthier than standard pasta (alias common pasta) manufactured by major producing companies. Healthy diet can therefore be considered as an ecosystem service. The goal of this survey is to offer some interesting elements of valuation about the influence of quality requisites, related to the territory, on consumers’ preferences for pasta. For the study, focus group and the AGIL methodolo...

The system of Sicilian durum wheat is facing, as it indeed happens to the entire food system, the evolution of consumption patterns toward higher quality requirements: health, primarily, but also intangible requirements. Recent acquisitions in the field of healthy food, have called attention to some specific characters of the Sicilian durum wheat. The sector of durum wheat represents a major landmark for regional agriculture being the far more widespread arable in Sicily; crop that, over the past 30 years, has evolved considerably, due to the impact of the EU regulations. Currently, the whole Sicilian cereal-pasta chain shows shortcomings in organization and size, which severely limit the production of pasta with a big loss of the added value linkable to the specificity characters. The study confirmed the substantial absence of a chain of Sicilian durum wheat although there has been attempts, even by the regional government, to build a chain agreement aimed to start a virtuous proce...

Consumption patterns have considerably changed over recent years. We are witnessing more and more frequently to a lack of information (i.e. information asymmetry) between food producers and consumers, this generates in the consumer the latter need to access information related to processes of production of food and food distribution. Decision-making, in absence of further information, leads consumers to pay attention to food labeling. Food labels become the only tool for consumers to acquire additional information about products in order to make the purchase decision. In today’s modern and globalized market, labels limitations can be partially overcome by using Mobile Marketing tools, such as the QR Code (Quick Response Code). Therefore the objective of this study is: (1) categorize profiles of consumers according to the importance given to various information patterns shown on food labeling; (2) discover consumer behaviors when making a purchasing decision based on food information...

Abstract Sicilian region (Southern Italy) has always been the larger Italian wine producer, because of their terroir (i.e. climate, soil and cultivar) and the extension of the vineyard area. For a long time, in the past, Sicilian vineyards produced only wine for blending or for bulk wine consumption. However, the quality of wine production in the Sicilian region has raised significantly over the past years, due to numerous factors, including, primarily, the development of manufacturing techniques, the major business investments of wineries, and the better legislation for protection of quality wines. These factors, combined with producers' targeted marketing strategies and actions, have greatly enhanced the competitiveness of the wine industry in Sicily. That is confirmed, also, by the increasing demand, in the international market, for wines "Made in Sicily". Sicilian wine producers' commitment for improving quality of their wines has had a positive feedback from consumers and from experts in the wine sector. In fact, during the last ten years, Sicilian wines have increased progressively the number of awards and prizes obtained nationally and internationally. Therefore the objective of this paper is to measure the quality level of Sicilian wine productions through the study of the rankings and prizes assigned by the most important domestic wine guides, i.e. Bibenda, L'Espresso, Gambero Rosso, Luca Maroni, Slow Wine and Veronelli (vintages 2014 and 2015), in order to know the role of the Sicilian region in the national and international framework of quality wines. In Italy, the high level wine guides are considered important indicators to know quality wines and best Italian cellars; therefore they may be used as an excellent assessment tool as well as mean of information and communication. By analysing rankings stated in the above guides, we compared the Sicilian wines with those of the other Italian regions that historically produce labels and wines of high quality. The results show that the Sicilian region has become a leader on the national wine market

Over the last decade, the wine industry has become increasingly globalized (Velikova N. et al., 2013). Global outlook of wine market is characterized by a supply higher than demand, which results in an even more competitive environment. Many wine producers look for new opportunities to increase their sales and earnings and export a considerable portion of their overall wine production (Velikova N. et al. ,2013).

Abstract A partire dalla seconda met\ue0 del 2008 la crisi finanziaria che ha colpito l\u2019economia mondiale, ha determinato la stagnazione dei consumi alimentari e un cambiamento nel comportamento di acquisto dei consumatori. La preoccupazione per il futuro e la riduzione del reddito disponibile, che limita la capacit\ue0 di acquisto delle famiglie, hanno determinato variazioni sulla spesa alimentare in relazione sia ai quantitativi che alla composizione del paniere. Alla preoccupazione per la crisi economica, si accompagna quella per la contaminazione dei cibi causata dal susseguirsi nel tempo di numerosi scandali alimentari (mucca pazza, influenza aviaria, melamina nel latte cinese, formaggi contraffatti, influenza di tipo \u201cA\u201d, ecc\u2026); di conseguenza il consumatore reagisce modificando i propri comportamenti di acquisto, seguendo la necessit\ue0 di risparmio e il bisogno di sicurezza. I cambiamenti si manifestano nel tipo di alimenti acquistati, nell\u2019attenzione alla provenienza e nei luoghi in cui si fa la spesa (super ed iper mercati, hard discount, mercati rionali, etc..). Recenti indagini hanno dimostrato la crescente sfiducia dei consumatori verso la filiera lunga considerata responsabile dell\u2019impennata dei prezzi e contemporaneamente hanno confermato la fiducia degli stessi per i prodotti Made in Italy ancor pi\uf9 se certificati (DOP, IGP, Bio) e di provenienza locale. In tale contesto i prodotti biologici diventano garanti di sicurezza e genuinit\ue0 ma il loro consumo \ue8 in genere condizionato da alcune variabili intrinseche del consumatore quali ad esempio il livello di reddito e le caratteristiche socio-culturali dello stesso. Lo studio indaga il comportamento di acquisto del consumatore di prodotti biologici, sia fedele che occasionale, nella citt\ue0 di Palermo, al fine di evidenziarne le eventuali variazioni in relazione alle limitazioni determinate dalle crisi finanziaria ed alimentare degli ultimi anni. La metodologia di indagine prevede la somministrazione di questionari ai consumatori-acquirenti intervistati presso i punti vendita della GDO e del dettaglio specializzato

In Italia l'agricoltura, adattandosi ai diversi ambienti ha sviluppato colture e tecniche con forti caratteri di specificit\ue0 locali, tanto da originate distinti sistemi agricoli nei quali la pratica irrigua assume anch'essa caratteristiche assai differenziate. Da decenni si osserva una contrazione della superficie agricola che negli anni pi\uf9 recenti ha interessato anche le superfici irrigue. Pur in un contesto profondamente mutato che si caratterizza per un nuovo ruolo dell'agricoltura (multifunzionale), l'importanza dell'irrigazione nell'attivare processi di sviluppo non sembra declinare. In particolare le aree meridionali trovano nella disponibilit\ue0 di acque irrigue l'elemento cruciale della propria efficienza ed il vincolo insormontabile alla diffusione delle colture di maggior valore e l'irrigazione diviene l'elemento centrale della qualit\ue0 e dell'efficienza produttiva nonch\ue8 lo strumento capace di valorizzare il patrimonio di specificit\ue0 e tipicit\ue0 delle produzioni mediterranee

This study measures the communication ability of wineries in two extreme territories of Southern Italy, Mount Etna and the island of Pantelleria. The evaluation of four dimensions of web communication was carried out by the AGIL Scheme (i.e. adaptation, goal-attainment, integration, latent pattern maintenance). The study provides a generalizable model to be applied in other similar studies. Also, focus groups of experts were carried out. The method proved to be suitable to measure the communication effectiveness of wineries through websites. Extreme territories may add value to the wine, regardless of the brand. The heroic wines may become the symbol of these territories helping environmental safeguard and contrasting territory abandonment by rural communities. The findings highlight that effective communication of heroic viticulture may be used to reposition these wines and increase their competitive advantage in foreign markets. The study generates new ideas for reflection on new ...

Purpose This paper aims to examine how Pantelleria’s wineries communicate the extreme territory of Pantelleria through its passito wine and whether this may be a value added for consumers. Specifically examines which dimensions of communication are effectively used by wineries to stimulate, in wine consumers, emotions that link passito wine with the territory of Pantelleria. Design/methodology/approach All websites of wineries producing passito wine in Pantelleria were analyzed using the adaptation, goal-attainment, integration and latent pattern maintenance (AGIL) scheme for measuring communication dimensions. Findings Results suggest that wineries and stakeholders should apply territory-based marketing strategies to add value to passito wine, the symbol of the island. Synergistically, Pantelleria, through the use of its symbolic product, may enhance its touristic activities. This approach provides useful elements to evaluate the potential of communication in other regions with ext...

Italian production of wine is very diversified and Sicily is one of the major regions with regards to quality and quantity of wine. The Marsala is the oldest fortified Sicilian wine, which is very valuable because of its organoleptic qualities and its production process. Marsala wine has been gaining for over a century in the Italian and foreign market, but, after a century of fame, it entered a long phase of decline because of inappropriate producers' decisions and new competitors. The objective of this study is to investigate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and treats of Marsala Vergine DOC wine for repositioning the product in the market. The focus group and factor analysis were carried out. Results highlighted the key-factors producers need to focus on, in order to reposition the wine in the market and meet preferences of a distinctive target consumer. Integrated strategies may be developed with stakeholders basing on results.