Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper studies the factors affecting the decision of farmers to sell their products directly to consumers using micro-data on the entire farm population in Italy. The empirical setting of the analysis reflects a focus on the geographical determinants of farmers’ choices as the model is estimated by adopting a multilevel approach and also including spatially lagged variables. The results support the idea that the diffusion of direct sale is a localized process of social innovation, based on knowledge sharing among actors. Policy design should consider the nature of this process in supporting more sustainable forms of supply chain.
Highlights
The adoption of direct selling to consumers as a marketing strategy is a typical feature of farms joining the creation of alternative food networks (AFNs)
We use the micro-data on the entire farm population which is available from the Census of Agriculture carried out by Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) in 2010, which means that we have information on every single farm in Italy
The analysis of the entire farm population allows us to go beyond the dichotomy between conventional and alternative because if it is true that direct sale continues to be described by many scholars as a typical feature of AFNs (Sonnino and Marsden, 2006; Donald et al, 2010), it true that it often takes place in very conventional farms
Summary
The adoption of direct selling to consumers as a marketing strategy is a typical feature of farms joining the creation of alternative food networks (AFNs). The analysis of the entire farm population allows us to go beyond the dichotomy between conventional and alternative because if it is true that direct sale continues to be described by many scholars as a typical feature of AFNs (Sonnino and Marsden, 2006; Donald et al, 2010), it true that it often takes place in very conventional farms. Today it is no longer a niche farm strategy but rather a possible marketing option within the evolving agri-food system. We use this information to study the determinants of direct sale
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
