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Sustainability of Local Agri-Food Systems

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 5856

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: wellbeing; sustainability; poverty; agri-food systems; multidimensional indicators; fuzzy measures; surveys

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The United Nations 2030 Agenda sets ambitious goals for the agricultural sector that aim to preserve the stock of natural capital and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The European Green Deal (COM2019 640 final) has also adopted these important goals and the digital technologies and knowledge and innovation in the agri-food sector are set to play key roles in achieving these objectives.

Producing sufficient and safe food for a growing population without over-exploiting natural resources is one of the major problems that our society must face, finding solutions which are sustainable in the long term. This is a global challenge, placed in a difficult context of unstable climate, increasing competition for land, water and energy, in an increasingly urbanized and globalized world.

The local dimension will play a key role. Achieving the sustainability of local agri-food system is the first necessary step to accomplishing these goals.

The aim of this Special Issue on the Sustainability of Local Agri-Food Systems is to gather together papers on new technologies and methodologies for traceability, quality, safety, measurements, and certifications that will help enhance value and protect the typical traits of agri-food chains at a local level.

This Special Issue also aims to understand the origin, authenticity, and safety of local agricultural production and agri-food chains, to promote the alignment of agri-food systems to the UN’s 2030 Agenda, and to enhance value and protect the typical traits of agri-food systems.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome, and research areas may include, but are not limited to) the following topics. New technologies and methodologies for:

  • traceability;
  • quality;
  • safety;
  • measurements;
  • certifications.

Seeking to enhance value and protect the typical traits of agri-food systems.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Francesca Gagliardi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • agri-food systems
  • traceability
  • quality
  • safety
  • measurements
  • certifications
  • indicators
  • surveys
  • producers
  • consumers

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 403 KB  
Article
Consumers’ Product Perception and Product Knowledge Influence Purchase Intentions at Farmers’ Markets: Evidence from the West Istrian Coast
by Milan Oplanić, Josip Gugić, Mario Njavro, Tajana Čop and Ana Čehić Marić
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010411 - 1 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1434
Abstract
Short food supply chains are an increasingly important topic within the academic community, as is research into the factors influencing consumers’ intention to buy at farmers’ markets. This study examines the influence of consumers’ product perception and product knowledge on purchase intention at [...] Read more.
Short food supply chains are an increasingly important topic within the academic community, as is research into the factors influencing consumers’ intention to buy at farmers’ markets. This study examines the influence of consumers’ product perception and product knowledge on purchase intention at farmers’ markets. Data were collected at farmers’ markets in Croatia. A total of 255 valid responses were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical regression. Demographically, respondents were predominantly women aged 46–55 with higher education and middle-income levels (family annual income of EUR 20,000 to 40,000). Results indicate that both product perception and product knowledge significantly affect purchase intention at farmers’ markets. Consumers generally view farmers’ market products as superior in quality and value, and they place high trust in farmers’ expertise. The findings suggest that attributes such as freshness, safety, and authenticity, combined with product knowledge-sharing by farmers, strengthen consumer trust and increase their willingness to pay and to recommend these products to family and relatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Local Agri-Food Systems)
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16 pages, 473 KB  
Article
Italian Consumer Interest in Sustainability, Certifications, and Traceability in Honey
by Marta Cianciabella, Giulia Mastromonaco, Antonina Sparacino, Valentina Maria Merlino, Stefano Massaglia, Giuseppe Versari, Chiara Medoro, Stefano Predieri and Simone Blanc
Sustainability 2025, 17(19), 8545; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198545 - 23 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1052
Abstract
Honey has a long cultural tradition in Italy, valued for its sensory properties and health benefits. However, in recent years, the beekeeping sector has faced various challenges due to climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic pressures. Therefore, growing consumer awareness of sustainability, traceability, [...] Read more.
Honey has a long cultural tradition in Italy, valued for its sensory properties and health benefits. However, in recent years, the beekeeping sector has faced various challenges due to climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic pressures. Therefore, growing consumer awareness of sustainability, traceability, and ethical aspects is influencing food choices and putting niche-market products, such as honey, in the spotlight. This research analysed data from an online survey of Italian consumers to examine their attitudes toward honey. The analysis focused on the primary drivers of consumer behaviour, the state of sustainability efforts, and the importance of certifications and traceability in influencing preferences. The results showed that, beyond taste and health considerations, Italian consumers expressed a strong sensitivity and awareness of the beekeeping sector’s needs and their high engagement in ethical issues, food quality, safety and certification standards, and environmental protection. These findings provide useful insights for producers and policymakers to promote sustainable beekeeping and enhance consumer trust by implementing targeted communication strategies and certification schemes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Local Agri-Food Systems)
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21 pages, 309 KB  
Article
Italian Consumer Willingness to Pay for Agri-Food Sustainable Certification Labels: The Role of Sociodemographic Factors
by Francesca Gagliardi, Leonardo Brogi, Gianni Betti, Angelo Riccaboni and Cristiana Tozzi
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 6792; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17156792 - 25 Jul 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2563
Abstract
Studying consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable certification labels and preferences in consumption is a relevant issue for policymakers. Several studies have revealed a positive WTP a premium price for many certified products. The aim of this paper is to assess an [...] Read more.
Studying consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable certification labels and preferences in consumption is a relevant issue for policymakers. Several studies have revealed a positive WTP a premium price for many certified products. The aim of this paper is to assess an overview of Italian consumers’ WTP for eight different sustainable certification labels and to collect information about their consumption preferences and perceptions in consumption. Participants were selected by stratified simple random sampling, using regional distribution, gender, and age as stratification criteria, to obtain a representative sample of n = 3600. Eight ordered logit models were estimated to understand how consumer sociodemographic characteristics influence the price premium. The results show important differences in WTP among different certification labels; a higher WTP emerged for ethical certifications than for environmentally focused labels. Younger individuals; women; and those with higher education, income and life satisfaction, as well as consumers in southern regions, were significantly more willing to pay premiums for certified products. However, a key finding for policymakers is that the stated price premium consumers are willing to pay falls significantly short of the actual higher costs of these products in supermarkets. Furthermore, insights into consumer perceptions and preferences revealed that quality and origin are perceived as key price drivers, while method of production holds less importance. It also emerged that consumers primarily seek a balance between quality and price, with only a small segment prioritizing certified products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Local Agri-Food Systems)
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