Sustainability and culinary traditions? Understand the role of historical markets in the development of agri-food and local gastronomy from the perspective of behavioral economics

Abstract

Food and gastronomic products are an integral part of a community. In fact, their diffusion on the territory is the result of history, tradition, and culture and they undoubtedly represent a significant part of the identity of the companies as an expression of the presence of man in the territory. The offer of food products takes place in the markets which represent a place of aggregation and exchange of ideas, and cultures, a place where the consumer socializes. For traditional food products, the consumer attributes a particular value to the place of purchase and to the food itself. The aim of this work is to discover the relationship between food and place as a "status symbol" of the supply and demand of the food markets, from the point of view of behavioral economics. Based on a case study in the city of Palermo in Sicily, in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, 30 food stands and 520 consumers (between city residents and tourists) were analyzed. Drawing on the availability of food products during the summer season, this document shows the diversity and uniqueness of local food landscapes and provides examples of the foods that are symbols or images and which constitute the Sicilian food identity. Based on the interviews, the results show the diversity of the food and gastronomic products offered, and the sales methods constitute the "quid" of differentiation of the historical Sicilian markets. On the demand side, the consumer buys according to the convenience of the price, the freshness of the product, and above all the social relationships that are established in the markets. The tourist declared that he visits the market as a "culinary heritage" of the city of Palermo. In summary, if the offer of a food market constitutes the culinary heritage of a given place, the demand for consumption (expressed by residents and non-residents) represents the expression of a response to the history of this heritage which over the years has been handed down from generation to generation up to the present day. So the historical markets are a distinctive trait of the city that it is necessary to enhance in order to promote strategies for the development and growth of the urban environment. The results highlight aspects that refer to the civil economy, which preceded the current market economy approach.