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By examining a case study in Tyrol, Austria, the paper aims to demonstrate the role of farm diversification and the influence of the peasants’ habitus on social-ecological…
Abstract
Purpose
By examining a case study in Tyrol, Austria, the paper aims to demonstrate the role of farm diversification and the influence of the peasants’ habitus on social-ecological resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a field study conducted in two remote villages of the Ötztal valley, Austrian Alps, this study provides insights into the interplay of tourism and farming and its impact on farm resilience. Qualitative narrative interviews, the so-called farm biographies, served to investigate these issues. Interpretations of data are based on qualitative content analysis.
Findings
The results highlight that farming and tourism are highly enmeshed in the case study area and that the additional income creates room for manoeuvre for the farms to activate their adaptive capability. At the same time, peasant values guide the farming activities. The farms in this study demonstrate a strong farm resilience that is enabled by farm diversification and rooted in their peasant habitus. This positively affects the social-ecological resilience.
Originality/value
In contrast to other studies, which have mainly applied the concepts of social or community resilience to investigate the resilience and vulnerability of rural areas, this study highlights the resilience of farms in mountain areas.
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Maria Teresa Trentinaglia, Daniele Cavicchioli, Cristina Bianca Pocol and Lucia Baldi
The goal of this study is to understand if ethnocentrism exists at the sub-regional level among honey consumers living in the same production area as a protected designation of…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this study is to understand if ethnocentrism exists at the sub-regional level among honey consumers living in the same production area as a protected designation of origin (PDO). Moreover, this analysis explores if ethnocentrism is influenced by individual economic conditions, among other socio-demographic characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 725 consumers was collected through the use of a questionnaire that was circulated in the province of Varese, one of the few honey PDO areas in Italy. The authors performed a principal component analysis and a two-step cluster analysis to identify different PDO honey consumer segments, focusing on their interest for PDO attributes.
Findings
The authors identified four consumer segments, depending on socio-demographic, consumption habits, frequencies, preferred attributes and preferences for the PDO product. One cluster exhibited strong preferences for the PDO honey, in the spirit of ethnocentrism, and was characterised by low-income levels; ethnocentric preferences were also observed in another cluster that had a different socio-economic profile.
Research limitations/implications
Honey is a niche product and not universally diffused among consumers: further analyses should investigate sub-national ethnocentrism for more universal food products. Yet, through the inspection of the different profiles found, it was possible to devise marketing strategies to boost PDO honey purchasing and to bring consumers closer to PDO products.
Originality/value
This analysis considers ethnocentrism as a segmentation criterion for PDO honey consumers that live in the very same PDO honey production area and enriches the existing literature on the relationship between ethnocentrism and individual economic status.
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Montserrat Crespi-Vallbona, Francesc Fusté-Forné and Ester Noguer-Juncà
While gastronomy has become a major tourist attraction for rural territories, its study in protected areas remains underexplored. These places use their cultural and natural…
Abstract
Purpose
While gastronomy has become a major tourist attraction for rural territories, its study in protected areas remains underexplored. These places use their cultural and natural heritage and landscape, as well as their local identity, to charm visitors. Gastronomy plays a key role in this, and restaurants do their best to promote local food products. The aim of this article is to use a qualitative and case study approach to analyze the marketing and touristic impact of Prades potatoes (“Patata de Prades”), which are certified with a Protected Geographical Indication.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 16 semi-structured interviews with restaurateurs (11) and producers (4) and the manager of the local cooperative (1) are the basis for examining the importance of this potato as a form of tourist attraction, its commercialization processes and the role it plays in the development of this protected rural region of Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain.
Findings
The results show that despite the great success of restaurants and food-based tourism with regard to Prades potatoes, the sustainability and future of this starchy vegetable are not guaranteed due to the scarcity of production, as it is a seasonal commodity and there is a lack of generational replacement in farming.
Originality/value
Food tourism that relies on local produce represents a “green” model for community development, but a specific public program is required to support the agricultural sector in the isolated areas to prevent the disappearance of this economic sector.
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Patrizia Gazzola, Enrica Pavione, Daniele Grechi and Federica Scavarda
Although not yet fully defined, natural wine represents a sector that has gained the widespread attention of final consumers and, therefore, also of the restaurant world, because…
Abstract
Purpose
Although not yet fully defined, natural wine represents a sector that has gained the widespread attention of final consumers and, therefore, also of the restaurant world, because of its promise of sustainability. The objective of this paper is to understand Italian haute cuisine's interest in natural wine, with the aim of analysing what qualifies this product as sustainable.
Design/methodology/approach
After introducing a theoretical framework based on the concept of natural wine, a brief paragraph is dedicated to consumer preferences; subsequently, the analysis focusses on a questionnaire given to restaurateurs to determine the impact that natural wine has had in the Italian context. The results try to identify the importance that restaurateurs give to the characteristics of natural wine and their propensity for using such wine in their own businesses.
Findings
The analysis, conducted on a sample of medium-high range restaurants, highlights their strong interest in natural wine, as a result of the final consumers' attitude towards wine with characteristics attributable to sustainability. The positive perception by restaurateurs is similar across Italy, both geographically and in terms of the size of the restaurant.
Originality/value
The originality of the work is the focus on the world of restaurants. To date, the literature on natural wine remains embryonic and always refers to the final consumer. This research is the first step in a broader study that will involve a greater number of restaurants, extending beyond Italy to all of Europe, with the aim of understanding the real development potential of natural wine.
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The purpose of this paper is to consider the potential of food tourism to connect local communities and strengthen the visitor economy through COVID-19 induced international…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the potential of food tourism to connect local communities and strengthen the visitor economy through COVID-19 induced international visitor downfalls and reimagine New Zealand tourism.
Design/methodology/approach
As a viewpoint paper, this paper is a personal and professional reflection of the relevance of food for New Zealand tourism.
Findings
The three themes of community, connection and challenges identify the potential of using local communities as ambassadors to connect both local and international visitors alike with New Zealand culture.
Practical implications
Findings of this paper can provide guidance for global communities on how to both mitigate a reduction in visitor arrivals while creating a foundation for future positioning as food destinations.
Originality/value
There is a lack of insight into the potential of special interest tourism in reimagining a post-COVID-19 tourism landscape, and this viewpoint paper contributes through its practical and community-based approach.
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