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The aim of the chapter is to compare Public–Private Partnership (PPP) healthcare investments in developed countries with those in emerging economies, analysing the sustainability issues of health-led growth. Healthcare PPP best practices in developed nations represent a template that catching-up economies may follow with local adaptations. A comparison starts from the UK case and then examines the Turkish experience as an ideal bridge between advanced and developing countries. Healthcare investments are a primary social infrastructure, with a deep impact on poverty alleviation. Demand for the infrastructure necessary to provide healthcare services has increased substantially in developing and emerging economies due to rapid economic growth, industrialization and urbanization, while public supply is limited by budget constraints. PPP best practices provide a global benchmark (World bank, 2015b). Integrated supply and value chains and management of viability milestone improve healthcare PPP sustainability and bankability. Different legal frameworks and funding issues are not thoroughly investigated. Careful customization and local fine-tuning of best practices require further scrutiny. Homogenization of best practices improves comparison of different projects, fostering competition and easing cross-border investments, accompanied by knowledge transfer, sharing and consequent value co-creation. Best practices improve value for money, bankability and resilience of PPP investments, with potential benefits for healthcare services and quality of life. This chapter makes an innovative and comprehensive comparison of healthcare PPP projects worldwide, looking for a common denominator of value-enhancing rules and resilient pro-growth strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to detect how Value for Money (VfM) in Italian Project Finance (PF) investments can be enhanced and challenging criticalities minimized, with a synergistic interaction of macroeconomic, legal and institutional actions.

Analysis of VfM quantitative key drivers, within a public-private partnership (PPP) framework with specific reference to a recession context, with infrastructural capital rationing implications. Empirical evidence is given by an Italian PF healthcare model, testing the impact of legal and macroeconomic changes.

Deleverage, ignited by W-shaped recession, disinflates PPP investments, so forcing to innovative and penniless solutions. Unreliable and short-sighted legislation and consequent unfriendly business climate may frighten investors, so decreasing competition and VfM.

VfM sensitivity to macroeconomic and legal/institutional parameters is too wide and capriciously erratic to be comprehensively modeled. Tips for further research include pro-growth tax and budgetary policies, risk minimization issues and other synergistic targets.

Guidance to regulators to fine tune legal and institutional tools, so as to create a stable, business friendly environment. Recessions may be softened by sensitive policymaking, or exacerbated by short-sighted ignorance and lack of strategic focus.

Unprecedented analysis of legal and macroeconomic changes on VfM in Italian PF investments, with original tips for VfM optimization, in a comprehensive PPP framework.

The global recession has strongly affected the credibility of the international banking system, damaging also the real economy.

Developing countries, not fully integrated with international markets, seem less affected and local microfinance institutions might also allow for a further shelter against recession, even if foreign support is slowing down and collection of international capital is harder and more expensive.

Intrinsic characteristics of microfinance, such as closeness to the borrowers, limited risk and exposure and little if any correlation with international markets have an anti-cyclical effect. In hard and confused times, it pays to be little, flexible and simple.

The research provides a systematic literature review on the environmental sustainability of the globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori], in the cultivated cardoon [Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis DC.] and in the wild cardoon [Cynara cardunculus L. var. sylvestris (Lamk)] supply chains, to fill in the literature data gaps and to identify new research directions.

In the light of the PRISMA standard guidelines, the research provides a systematic literature review according to six research strings on Scopus and Web of Science. 45 scientific articles have been selected out of 407 contributions. Data have been synthesized according to a co-word analysis through the VOSviewer software, to provide insights into the structure of the research network, to offer a multidimensional scaling and clustering into research groups and to discuss the results.

The research identifies five main research trends: (1) biomass-to-bioenergy or biomass-to-biocomposite materials; (2) waste-to-bioenergy or waste-to-bioproducts; (3) crop management to increase yield productivity; (4) environmental impacts assessment; (5) irrigation water management. Besides, the research highlights momentous challenges and adopted strategies to tackle climate change and to reduce natural resources consumption, as well as the nexus between circular economy and environmental impact assessment.

The novelty of this study relies on the fact that it analyses the environmental sustainability of the Cynara cardunculus L. spp. Supply chain in a systematic way, giving the opportunity to identify future research directions regarding the environmental impacts associated with agricultural production and industrial transformation.