Climate Change and High-Quality Agri-Food Production: Perceptions of Risk and Adaptation Strategies in the Calabria Region (Southern Italy)

Francesco De Pascale () and Eleonora Guadagno
Additional contact information
Francesco De Pascale: Department of Human and Social Sciences, eCampus University, via Isimbardi, 10, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
Eleonora Guadagno: Department of Human and Social Sciences, eCampus University, via Isimbardi, 10, 22060 Novedrate, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-23

Abstract: The unique features of high-quality agri-food production are rooted in the specificities of ecosystems, interpreted through an anthropocentric lens. In Italy, such products are nationally certified with labels that enhance both their market value and their territorial identity. However, climate change amplifies risks such as land degradation and reduced arability, threatening the value systems tied to ecosystems, places, and products. As a result, the relationship between environmental conditions and certified quality is becoming more fragile across the Italian peninsula. This paper investigates how producers and consumers perceive the risks posed by climate change to the ecosystem characteristics of Terroir, focusing on Calabria—a southern Italian region marked by socio-environmental vulnerability and a limited number of certified products. This fragility may further hinder certified agri-food production, with serious implications for the local agribusiness sector. Using a qualitative methodology, the study draws on questionnaires administered to producers and farmers, alongside interviews with key stakeholders and exploratory fieldworks. Eventually, this research aims to identify major environmental risks impacting certified production in Calabria, examine the adaptation strategies adopted by local producers, and assess the perceived effectiveness of institutional support. It also explores whether certifications such as PDO and PGI can act as tools to mitigate climate-related impacts while enhancing product value and territorial resilience. These findings can inform more effective policies for promoting sustainable, high-quality agri-food systems under changing climate conditions in a transcalar perspective.

Keywords: agri-food production; climate change; Calabria region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3553/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3553/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3553-:d:1635252

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().