Pulses for Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems: The Effect of Origin on Market Price

Claudio Acciani, Annalisa De Boni, Francesco Bozzo and Rocco Roma
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Claudio Acciani: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy
Annalisa De Boni: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy
Francesco Bozzo: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy
Rocco Roma: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Pulses are widely acknowledged for their high nutritional value due to high protein content, low content in calories, and low glycemic index; they are a good alternative to animal proteins thus offering a considerable number of social, environmental, and health benefits. Despite pulses being widely acknowledged as healthy and sustainable food, in mainly European countries, consumption is growing but still lower than the recommended level, production is unprofitable in comparison to the current market prices level, and a reduction in harvested area has led to a strong dependence on import for pulses supply. Pulses are particularly fitting to the feature of local food because they can be suitably grown in any context, even in the most complex areas, and consumer interest and awareness of food origin has strongly increased in recent years. Lentils were selected as a case study in this paper that aims to define which features are effective on market price and, in particular, the role of origin declaration on label plays in defining the market price and how the origin attributes may enhance market price and farms competitiveness. The methodological tool for this investigation is the hedonic price model, useful to explain the effects of attributes of pulses affecting the market price. Results contribute to a better understanding of the pulse market, emphasizing that the “origin declaration” on label may have a positive effect on market price.

Keywords: pulses; origin; hedonic price; healthy food; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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