Evaluating the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on Italian and regional agri-food systems: Case study in the Marche Region, Italy

Abstract

The study intends to analyze the situation of the agri-food systems in Italy over a one-year period (2020–2021) of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, with a focus on the Marche Region in the North-Center of Italy. The study presents the economic situation prior to the pandemic (2019), with an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data on the most relevant sectors of the agri-food systems. The scope is to investigate, from a socio-economic dimension, the impacts on the agri-food sectors and estimate the alterations occurring in production and consumption during and after the Italian lockdown from March to April 2020. The analysis mainly compares the two-year momentum (2019–2021) of the demography of the agri-food companies and showcases current trends. This analysis of the Italian agri-food system demonstrates that the pandemic and the territorial restrictions severely affected the sectors and altered some of the usual market trends. The pandemic caused disruptions in the distribution of inputs, extension services, and cooperative services, also leading to a shortage of labour. Factors such as market accessibility, postharvest value addition, pricing, and product shortages played a crucial role in shaping the market supply during this period of upheaval. The findings obtained by this preliminary study could be important in supporting decision-makers and producers in shaping new policy strategies for possible future crises.