marzia ingrassia | Università degli Studi di Palermo (original) (raw)
Papers by marzia ingrassia
Sustainability
The Italian wine industry is strongly committed to sustainability. Among the numerous sustainabil... more 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...
Foods, 2022
Street food (SF) consists of ready-to-eat food prepared and sold on the street. This food constit... more Street food (SF) consists of ready-to-eat food prepared and sold on the street. This food constitutes the food traditions of local populations in many countries of the world. SF characterizes a large number of cities around the world, from New York to Paris, from Palermo to cities of North Africa, China, India and Japan. SF is inexpensive and prepared following traditional methods that meet local consumer preferences, culinary culture and lifestyles. Moreover, SF allows a unique experience for tourists who also want to experience a destination through traditional food consumed on the street together with the locals. Nevertheless, SF is linked to several health hazards. Hence, several studies discussed on the compliance with hygiene and food quality requirements that SF vendors should guarantee, to ensure human health. So far, there is no bibliometric review attempting to provide an objective and comprehensive analysis of the existing scientific documents that simultaneously study th...
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology: B, 2014
The current guidelines of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy face the agricultural sec... more The current guidelines of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy face the agricultural sector in the position of the backbone for the economic development of rural areas and regions with difficult economic differentiation. The EU Common Agricultural Policy defines agriculture as "multifunctional" and among the different roles and functions expected, there is also the "social function", defined as the ability that the farm has to generate services with respect to a population with risk of social exclusion. This paper investigated all the agricultural initiatives with social impacts that were carried in the lands confiscated from the organized crime (called mafia), mainly in the South of Italy and especially in Sicily. Through an Italian law, these lands could be used with social purposes by a particular kind of associations which might exercise an agricultural activity with the aim to produce food products, sell them in the market and offer employment opportunities in the agricultural sector. In particular, in Sicily, the activity of the "Social Cooperative Placido Rizzotto-Libera Terra" and its winery "Cantina Centopassi" which received honors and awards for its production of wine obtained from the earliest harvests and for its social work in that territory were well known. This work, which was part of a much broader study on "wine and legality", aimed to know the opinion of Sicilian wine consumers and their knowledge about this topic with particular reference to the Cantina Centopassi.
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2022
The choice of influencer marketing as an endorser for promoting products and services is becoming... more The choice of influencer marketing as an endorser for promoting products and services is becoming a more and more effective communication strategy of open innovation. Their use of social media platforms, such as Instagram, allows them to be reached by millions of followers all over the world. As a response to the economic crisis that affected Italy after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chiara Ferragni, one of the most endorsed influencers worldwide, started a communication campaign with the aim to promote Italian food and tourist destinations (cities of art, seaside, ski and countryside locations, thermal baths, museums, galleries, hotels, etc.). This study analyses Chiara Ferragni’s activity and the dynamic of communication she used via her Instagram (IG) profile to enhance Italian tourist destinations and “local food & wine”. Specifically, it measured the contribution of local food used as an evocative factor in the appreciation of a tourist destination and its power in d...
Agriculture
This is the first study on the brand–land link for quality wines with a strong identity produced ... more This is the first study on the brand–land link for quality wines with a strong identity produced in extreme territories using the Policy Delphi methodology. The objective of this study is to assess the existence of a relationship between the wine brand and the territory of origin for wines produced in the Etna valley in Sicily (southern Italy). Awareness among producers and stakeholders of the recognizability of local wines by the market was investigated. Moreover, the forecasts/reliability, issues/importance, options/feasibility, and goals/desirability of development factors for wines with a brand–land link in the Etna valley were analyzed. The results were used to design a model of the value chain for wines with a brand–land identity which is generalizable to other wine regions. In this study, the policy Delphi method was adapted, consolidated, and improved for marketing studies in the agri-food sector. This adapted method can be replicated in other studies focusing on similar con...
Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing
Sustainability
Wine Routes develop inside the larger context of wine tourism (WT), which is increasingly importa... more Wine Routes develop inside the larger context of wine tourism (WT), which is increasingly important for rural communities. Italy is one of the most important countries in the world for wine production and tourism. Sicily is one of the leading regions in Italy for wine production and wine tourists. This study focuses on the Sicilian wine routes (SWRs) and gives an excursus of their development during the last ten years, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, the study wants to make an attempt to bridge the existing gap in the literature and highlight the nature and extent of the contribution of the SWR to the development of the WT ‘product’ from the perspective of the increasingly booming sustainable–rural tourism. Face-to-face interviews were conducted along the SWRs with 283 wine tourists, 65 wine enterprises, and eight expert stakeholders. The motivations for tourists to visit the first time and their intention to return were investigated by the explorative factor analys...
Journal of Ethnic Foods
Currently, consumers appear to have diversified characteristics with regard to food tastes and co... more 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 ...
Chemical engineering transactions, 2017
The impact of research that is being carried out into the relationship between food and consumers... more The impact of research that is being carried out into the relationship between food and consumers is progressively reinforced by continuous findings in literature confirming that consumers choose foods basing on their functional cognition and sensory perception, especially when buying fruit and vegetables. Therefore, it is important for table grape producers to be aware of consumers' concerns and preferences both, during the purchasing stage and after, during consumption at home, when experiential attributes have more importance. In both cases, sensory attributes play an important role in determining consumers’ purchase behavior of table grape. Table grapes cv ‘Italia’ and ‘Red Globe’ are produced in South Italy (Sicily and Apulia) and appreciated by consumers for their superior taste and other intrinsic qualities, both in Italy and in other European countries. Nevertheless, harvested grapes of these cultivars deteriorate rapidly without post-harvest appropriate treatments, espe...
ABSTRACT In Italy, the cultivated land of berries shows a positive trend, nevertheless berries st... more ABSTRACT In Italy, the cultivated land of berries shows a positive trend, nevertheless berries still remain a productive segment of niche and luxury in the Italian agri-food system. In the world, the interest for these productions is high for their healthy aspects that have a strong appeal to the consumers. The objectives of this study are to know the consumers behavior of berries and the determinants of purchase in Italy in order to improve the management of the producing and retailers companies for increase the competitiveness of the supply chain. The results obtained through a multivariate analysis show some difference among the consumers interviewed. The most important results of this study is that good taste and flavor and nutritional properties are the most important motivation to buy berries as fresh fruit. Among the three geographical Italian macro-regions (Northern, Central and Southern) have not been revealed relevant differences. These are related mainly to the type of fruit consumed, the place and frequency of purchase. Furthermore, consumers living in big capitals, compared to those living in the small cities, can easily find berries at supermarket and consider label a very important element for traceability of product. Moreover, they usually buy berries for special occasions as fresh fruits or to prepare particular dishes. Several implication both for companies and Institution have been identified.
Green metamorphoses: agriculture, food, ecology
Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2021
Currently, consumers appear to have diversified characteristics with regard to food tastes and co... more 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 ...
Chemical engineering transactions, 2017
Demand for food in developed countries is nowadays moving towards increasing contents of quality ... more 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...
Sustainability
The Italian wine industry is strongly committed to sustainability. Among the numerous sustainabil... more 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...
Foods, 2022
Street food (SF) consists of ready-to-eat food prepared and sold on the street. This food constit... more Street food (SF) consists of ready-to-eat food prepared and sold on the street. This food constitutes the food traditions of local populations in many countries of the world. SF characterizes a large number of cities around the world, from New York to Paris, from Palermo to cities of North Africa, China, India and Japan. SF is inexpensive and prepared following traditional methods that meet local consumer preferences, culinary culture and lifestyles. Moreover, SF allows a unique experience for tourists who also want to experience a destination through traditional food consumed on the street together with the locals. Nevertheless, SF is linked to several health hazards. Hence, several studies discussed on the compliance with hygiene and food quality requirements that SF vendors should guarantee, to ensure human health. So far, there is no bibliometric review attempting to provide an objective and comprehensive analysis of the existing scientific documents that simultaneously study th...
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology: B, 2014
The current guidelines of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy face the agricultural sec... more The current guidelines of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy face the agricultural sector in the position of the backbone for the economic development of rural areas and regions with difficult economic differentiation. The EU Common Agricultural Policy defines agriculture as "multifunctional" and among the different roles and functions expected, there is also the "social function", defined as the ability that the farm has to generate services with respect to a population with risk of social exclusion. This paper investigated all the agricultural initiatives with social impacts that were carried in the lands confiscated from the organized crime (called mafia), mainly in the South of Italy and especially in Sicily. Through an Italian law, these lands could be used with social purposes by a particular kind of associations which might exercise an agricultural activity with the aim to produce food products, sell them in the market and offer employment opportunities in the agricultural sector. In particular, in Sicily, the activity of the "Social Cooperative Placido Rizzotto-Libera Terra" and its winery "Cantina Centopassi" which received honors and awards for its production of wine obtained from the earliest harvests and for its social work in that territory were well known. This work, which was part of a much broader study on "wine and legality", aimed to know the opinion of Sicilian wine consumers and their knowledge about this topic with particular reference to the Cantina Centopassi.
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2022
The choice of influencer marketing as an endorser for promoting products and services is becoming... more The choice of influencer marketing as an endorser for promoting products and services is becoming a more and more effective communication strategy of open innovation. Their use of social media platforms, such as Instagram, allows them to be reached by millions of followers all over the world. As a response to the economic crisis that affected Italy after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chiara Ferragni, one of the most endorsed influencers worldwide, started a communication campaign with the aim to promote Italian food and tourist destinations (cities of art, seaside, ski and countryside locations, thermal baths, museums, galleries, hotels, etc.). This study analyses Chiara Ferragni’s activity and the dynamic of communication she used via her Instagram (IG) profile to enhance Italian tourist destinations and “local food & wine”. Specifically, it measured the contribution of local food used as an evocative factor in the appreciation of a tourist destination and its power in d...
Agriculture
This is the first study on the brand–land link for quality wines with a strong identity produced ... more This is the first study on the brand–land link for quality wines with a strong identity produced in extreme territories using the Policy Delphi methodology. The objective of this study is to assess the existence of a relationship between the wine brand and the territory of origin for wines produced in the Etna valley in Sicily (southern Italy). Awareness among producers and stakeholders of the recognizability of local wines by the market was investigated. Moreover, the forecasts/reliability, issues/importance, options/feasibility, and goals/desirability of development factors for wines with a brand–land link in the Etna valley were analyzed. The results were used to design a model of the value chain for wines with a brand–land identity which is generalizable to other wine regions. In this study, the policy Delphi method was adapted, consolidated, and improved for marketing studies in the agri-food sector. This adapted method can be replicated in other studies focusing on similar con...
Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing
Sustainability
Wine Routes develop inside the larger context of wine tourism (WT), which is increasingly importa... more Wine Routes develop inside the larger context of wine tourism (WT), which is increasingly important for rural communities. Italy is one of the most important countries in the world for wine production and tourism. Sicily is one of the leading regions in Italy for wine production and wine tourists. This study focuses on the Sicilian wine routes (SWRs) and gives an excursus of their development during the last ten years, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, the study wants to make an attempt to bridge the existing gap in the literature and highlight the nature and extent of the contribution of the SWR to the development of the WT ‘product’ from the perspective of the increasingly booming sustainable–rural tourism. Face-to-face interviews were conducted along the SWRs with 283 wine tourists, 65 wine enterprises, and eight expert stakeholders. The motivations for tourists to visit the first time and their intention to return were investigated by the explorative factor analys...
Journal of Ethnic Foods
Currently, consumers appear to have diversified characteristics with regard to food tastes and co... more 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 ...
Chemical engineering transactions, 2017
The impact of research that is being carried out into the relationship between food and consumers... more The impact of research that is being carried out into the relationship between food and consumers is progressively reinforced by continuous findings in literature confirming that consumers choose foods basing on their functional cognition and sensory perception, especially when buying fruit and vegetables. Therefore, it is important for table grape producers to be aware of consumers' concerns and preferences both, during the purchasing stage and after, during consumption at home, when experiential attributes have more importance. In both cases, sensory attributes play an important role in determining consumers’ purchase behavior of table grape. Table grapes cv ‘Italia’ and ‘Red Globe’ are produced in South Italy (Sicily and Apulia) and appreciated by consumers for their superior taste and other intrinsic qualities, both in Italy and in other European countries. Nevertheless, harvested grapes of these cultivars deteriorate rapidly without post-harvest appropriate treatments, espe...
ABSTRACT In Italy, the cultivated land of berries shows a positive trend, nevertheless berries st... more ABSTRACT In Italy, the cultivated land of berries shows a positive trend, nevertheless berries still remain a productive segment of niche and luxury in the Italian agri-food system. In the world, the interest for these productions is high for their healthy aspects that have a strong appeal to the consumers. The objectives of this study are to know the consumers behavior of berries and the determinants of purchase in Italy in order to improve the management of the producing and retailers companies for increase the competitiveness of the supply chain. The results obtained through a multivariate analysis show some difference among the consumers interviewed. The most important results of this study is that good taste and flavor and nutritional properties are the most important motivation to buy berries as fresh fruit. Among the three geographical Italian macro-regions (Northern, Central and Southern) have not been revealed relevant differences. These are related mainly to the type of fruit consumed, the place and frequency of purchase. Furthermore, consumers living in big capitals, compared to those living in the small cities, can easily find berries at supermarket and consider label a very important element for traceability of product. Moreover, they usually buy berries for special occasions as fresh fruits or to prepare particular dishes. Several implication both for companies and Institution have been identified.
Green metamorphoses: agriculture, food, ecology
Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2021
Currently, consumers appear to have diversified characteristics with regard to food tastes and co... more 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 ...
Chemical engineering transactions, 2017
Demand for food in developed countries is nowadays moving towards increasing contents of quality ... more 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...