The Agri-Food System in the Mediterranean Countries of the European Community: Structures and Policies, with Particular Reference to Italy
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Durham E-Theses The agri-food system in the Mediterranean countries of the European community: structures and policies, with particular reference to Italy Gastoni, Marco How to cite: Gastoni, Marco (1993) The agri-food system in the Mediterranean countries of the European community: structures and policies, with particular reference to Italy, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/5733/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM DEPARTMENT OF GFOGRAPHY MARCO GASTONI THE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY: STRUCTURES AND POLICIES, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO ITALY. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived Supervisor: from it should be acknowledged. Dr. Peter J. Atkins Thesis submitted for the degree of master of arts 19 9 3 /JS&v 1 % JAN 1994 Ille terrarum mihi praeter Angulus ridet Horace Odes II, vi 13 Declaration This thesis is the result of my own work. Data and opinions from other authors which are referred to in the thesis are acknowledged at the appropriate point in the text. Copyright The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Marco Gastoni The Agri-Food System in The Mediterranean Countries of The European Community: Structures and Policies, with Particular Reference to Italy. Thesis submitted for the Degree of Master of Arts University of Durham August 1993 Abstract The analysis presented seeks to introduce the problems encountered by the North Mediterranean Countries in relation to food production, distribution and consumption. The productive aspects of the food system are emphasized in the thesis, in view of their importance in the economic and social life throughout the Mediterranean. The idea of food consumption as a primary influential factor in the development of food production and distribution is also underlined. A general discussion of the social consequences of food consumption, for example on consumers' health, and of the environmental effects of food production is provided. Moreover, a description of the differences in the European food production and consumption at a national and regional level is presented and the Mediterranean region (Medit) is defined. A detailed description is given of some of the most important features of the Italian agri- food system. The Italian case shows clearly that the efficiency of the public sector represents one of the most important factors in the development of an adequate food system. There are many reasons to believe that the action of the Italian governments in the past few decades have not always been directed towards the public interest, and this conclusion seems also valid outside the specific topic of the current study. The lack of a responsible public management, however, has not impeded Italian governments in providing businesses with a comfortable domestic environment, amply subsidized and shielded against foreign competition, in exchange for political support. Fortunately, the Italian political system is now collapsing, along with the 'cold-war' international order and the new challenges originating from a more integrated European Community, and this hopefully will allow the re-foundation of an efficiently functioning modern economy. Contents. Acknowledgements. p. i Preface. p. ii Section I Agribusiness and Food System in the European Community. Chapter 1 Methodological Aspects and Definition of the Field of Enquiry. 1.1 Agribusiness complex and food system. p. 2 1.2 The choice of the food system as the object of reference. p. 5 1.3 The study of the food system and the concept of food chain and fitihrc. p. 7 1.4 Definition of the geographical areas of study: Europe, Medit region, North Mediterranean Countries Area and the Italian case. p. 10 Chapter 2 The European Food Systems: Analogies and Contrasting Realities. 2.1 The food system in Europe. p. 15 2.2 The topicality of the food system in the context of the North Mediterranean Countries Area. p. 17 2.3 North-South contrasts in the European Community with respect to the food system. p. 20 2.3.1 Consumption patterns. p. 21 2.3.2 The agricultural sector. p. 23 2.3.3 Food processing industry. p. 37 2.3.4 The food distribution sector. p. 40 2.4 Common problems for the development of a modern food sector in the North Mediterranean Countries Area. p. 41 2.5 Tables. p. 45 Section II The Italian Food System: an Illustrative Example of Development and Backwardness at the Heart of Europe. Chapter 3 The Italian Food System in the International Economy. 3.1 The importance of the food system in Italy. p. 51 3.2 Some structural characteristics of the Italian food system. p. 53 3.3 The external component of the Italian food system. p. 54 3.4 Some geographical attributes at a regional and local level. p. 55 3.5 Tables. p. 58 Chapter 4 The Demand-Side Influence on the Food System's Composition. 4.1 The foundations of food demand. p. 59 4.2 Evolution of food consumption in Italy. p. 61 4.3 Geographical attributes of food demand in Italy. p. 67 4.4 The future of Italian food demand. p. 70 4.5 The influences of national and external food demand upon the Italian food system. p. 72 4.6 Tables. p. 75 Chapter 5 The Productive-Side in the Italian Agri-Food System. 5.1 Agricultural production and food production. p. 79 5.2 Agricultural production and rural income. p. 80 5.2.1 Final agricultural production. p. 81 5.2.2 The evolution of agricultural production in the 1980s. p. 84 5.2.3 Agricultural income. p. 86 5.3 The productive factors in agriculture. p. 88 5.3.1 Investment and credit in agriculture. p. 88 5.3.2 Physical inputs and capital in agriculture. p. 89 5.3.3 Agricultural land. p. 90 5.3.4 Labour in agriculture. p. 91 5.4 Productivity in agriculture. p. 93 5.5 Vertical integration in the process of food production. p. 95 5.5.1 The phenomenon of agricultural cooperatives in Italy. p. 97 5.5.2 Contracting practices in the Italian food sector. p. 98 5.6 Some considerations of the problems of Italian agriculture. p. 99 5.7 The analysis of the food industry: concepts and instruments. p. 100 5.8 Present situation and recent evolution of the Italian food processing industry. p. 102 5.9 The world of the most important food processing enterprises operating in Italy. p. 104 5.9.1 The leading Italy-based enterprises. p. 104 5.9.2 Industrial groups and multinationalization. p. 105 5.9.3 The cooperatives in the food industry. p. 106 5.9.4 The leading industrial groups operating in Italy. p. 107 5.9.5 The leading food processing groups in the world. p. 107 5.9.6 The leading Italian multinationals. p. 108 5.10 The growth strategy of food enterprises: some considerations upon the growing industrial concentration and internationalization in the Italian food industry. p. 108 5.11 The localization of food plants in the Italian territory. p. 112 5.12 Tables. p. 114 Chapter 6 Food Distribution in Italy. 6.1 The organization of the food distribution sector. p. 122 6.2 The growing importance of distribution in the context of the food system. P- 124 6.3 Integration in the food system and the food distribution aggregate. p. 126 6.3.1 Food wholesaling and trading. P- 127 6.3.2 Structural change in the Italian food retailing sector. P- 127 6.3.3 Some consideration on the development of catering. P- 129 6.4 Future patterns of demand and the distribution sector. P- 130 6.5 Tables. P- 132 Chapter 7 International Agri-Food Trade. 7.1 The Italian trade of agricultural and food products. P- 134 7.2 Structural aspects of the Italian agri-food deficit. P- 136 7.3 The evolution of the food trade balance during the 1980s. P- 140 7.4 Food trade in a global perspective and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). P- 142 7.5 Public policy and trade. P- 145 7.6 Tables. P- 147 Section HI The Role of the Public Sector in the Development of the Agri-Food System. Chapter 8 Attitudes of Public Policy Towards Food. 8.1 Importance of public policy in the context of the food system. P- 151 8.2 Instruments of analysis in policy-making. P- 152 8.3 R61e of the state and public policy options. P- 153 8.4 Macro-economic policies. P- 154 8.5 Agri-food policies. P- 156 8.5.1 Food production and distribution policies. p. 157 8.5.2 Food policies, p. 158 Chapter 9 The European Community and Its Influence on the Food System at a Sectoral and Regional Level.