Is wine perception influenced by sustainability information? Insights from a consumer experiment with fungus resistant grape and organic wines.

Literature has highlighted that the organic attribute has heuristic value for many consumers, representing an overarching signifier of positive characteristics. Nowadays a plethora of alternative systemic approaches side organic production in the aim to improve the overall sustainability of the agrifood sector. Current study, based on blind and informed tasting, measured sustainability information influence on respondents' (n = 162) perceptions of organic and fungus-resistant grape (FRG) white wines. Findings of the within-subject non hypothetical experiment revealed that information has a stronger, positive impact on participants' perception of organic wine (increasing 13 % monetary preferences) compared to FRG wine (+9%). Additionally, attitudinal characteristics driving consumers' preferences towards FRG wine diverge from organic core motivations.

The tenant's pre-emption rights in Italian agriculture: An introductory economic evaluation.

The paper explores the almost "unknown territory" of the economic evaluation of pre-emption rights (PRs) in agriculture, by focusing on two PRs held by tenant farmers in Italy: on purchasing of rented land and on contract renewal. For both PRs, the main characteristics and an historical framework are provided. The research has three goals: PR values estimations, exploring factors that affect the tenant's choice of rating the PRs, exploring factors that affect the PR values. Lacking a specific theory on the PR value in agriculture, an ad hoc conceptual framework has been developed by referring mainly to the theory of farm evaluation, which has proved helpful in discussing the research findings. Research goals are achieved by employing the contingent valuation, logistic regression and linear regression methods. Data collection refer to an on-farm survey covering 55 tenants, which has provided a database of 230 lease contracts. Among the analysis findings, the worthiest of note are: a) the farmer's PR on the neighbouring land for sale is more appreciated than the tenant's PR on rented land for sale; b) tenant's PRs favour the growth of farm size not only by securing plots with labour intensive crops but also by guaranteeing adequate economies of scale; c) the percentage of contract area on total rented area is the main factor that induces tenants to evaluate the PR of a specific land under contract; d) the value of the PR on the purchasing of rented land mostly increases in relation to the dimension of the farm machinery fleet, the presence of intensive crops and the tenant's interest in the rented land, while investments made on it positively affect the value of the PR on contract renewal.

More crop for drop - climate change and wine: an economic evaluation of a new drought-resistant rootstock.

The current paper presents the results of an economic evaluation of a new drought-resistant rootstock (M4), capable to maintain in adverse environmental conditions high photosynthetic activity, to accumulate osmotic compounds and to compensate for the accumulation of sodium and chlorine in the grapevines, in two core Italian grapevine growing areas: the North-East and Sicily. After collecting data on quantitative (yield per plant in kg) and qualitative parameters (°Brix, anthocyanins, pH) of experimental vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon variety) planted using the traditional rootstock 1103P and the innovative M4 rootstock, over a seven-year period, a cost-benefit analysis calculated the effects of replacing the traditional rootstock. The results show that M4 rootstock yields higher net revenues compared to the best situation of 1103P rootstock, roughly in 40% of North-East vineyards and in more than 80% of their Sicilian counterparts. In addition, 14% of North-East vineyards and more than 94% of Sicilian vineyards are currently exposed to drought risk, and these areas are expected to increase in the coming years. Thus the M4 rootstock, as other related innovations [51-53], could significantly improve watersaving strategies, which are gaining increasing attention from both public bodies and wine companies.