Farm tourism: a cross-country empirical study in Germany and Italy

PROBLEM In the last few years farm tourism or agritourism as it is also referred to has enjoyed increasing success because of its generally acknowledged role as a promoter of economic and social development of rural areas. As a consequence, a plethora of studies have been dedicated to this tourist sector, focusing on a variety of issues. Nevertheless, despite the difficulties of many farmers to orient their business towards potential customers, the contribution of the marketing literature has been moderate. PURPOSE This dissertation builds upon studies which advocate the necessity of farm tourism to innovate itself according to the increasingly demanding needs of customers. Henceforth, the purpose of this dissertation is to critically evaluate the level of professionalism reached in the farm tourism market within a marketing approach. METHODOLOGY This dissertation is a cross-country perspective incorporating the marketing of farm tourism studied in Germany and Italy. Hence, the marketing channels of this tourist sector are examined both from the supply and the demand side by means of five exploratory studies. The data collection has been conducted in the timeframe of 2006 to 2009 in manifold ways (online survey, catalogues of industry associations, face-to-face interviews, etc.) according to the purpose of the research of each study project. The data have been analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis. FINDINGS A comprehensive literature review provides the state of the art of the main differences and similarities of farm tourism in the two countries of study. The main findings contained in the empirical chapters provide insights on many aspects of agritourism including how the expectations of farm operators and customers differ, which development scenarios of farm tourism are more likely to meet individuals’ needs, how new technologies can impact the demand for farm tourism, etc. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The value of this study is in the investigation of the process by which farmers’ participation in the development of this sector intersects with consumer consumption patterns. Focusing on this process should allow farm operators and others including related businesses to more efficiently allocate resources.

The role of collective action in the provision of agri-environmental public goods: theoretical development through case studies in Italy

The thesis aims at analysing the role of collective action as a viable alternative to the traditional forms of intervention in agriculture in order to encourage the provision of agri-environmental public goods. Which are the main benefits of collective action, in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, compared to traditional market or public intervention policies? What are the drivers that encourage farmers to participate into collective action? To what extent it is possible to incorporate collective aspects into policies aimed at providing agri-environmental public goods? With the objective of addressing these research questions, the thesis is articulated in two levels: a theoretical analysis on the role of collective action in the provision of public goods and a specific investigation of two local initiative,s were an approach collective management of agro-environmental resources was successfully implemented. The first case study concerns a project named “Custodians of the Territory”, developed by the local agency in Tuscany “Comunità Montana Media Valle del Serchio”, which settled for an agreement with local farmers for a collective provision of environmental services related to the hydro-geological management of the district. The second case study is related to the territorial agri-environmental agreement experimented in Valdaso (Marche), where local farmers have adopted integrated pest management practices collectively with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of their farming practices. The analysis of these initiatives, carried out through participatory methods (Rapid Rural Appraisal), allowed developing a theoretical discussion on the role of innovative tools (such as co-production and co-management) in the provision of agri-environmental public goods. The case studies also provided some recommendations on the government intervention and policies needed to promote successful collective action for the provision of agri-environmental public goods.

Biomolecular studies in Alzheimer’s Disease models: investigations in vitro and in vivo

The Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of age-related dementia, is a multifactorial and heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease. The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of AD are yet largely unknown. However, the etiopathogenesis of AD likely resides in the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. Among the different factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of AD, amyloid-beta peptides and the genetic risk factor apoE4 are prominent on the basis of genetic evidence and experimental data. ApoE4 transgenic mice have deficits in spatial learning and memory associated with inflammation and brain atrophy. Evidences suggest that apoE4 is implicated in amyloid-beta accumulation, imbalance of cellular antioxidant system and in apoptotic phenomena. The mechanisms by which apoE4 interacts with other AD risk factors leading to an increased susceptibility to the dementia are still unknown. The aim of this research was to provide new insights into molecular mechanisms of AD neurodegeneration, investigating the effect of amyloid-beta peptides and apoE4 genotype on the modulation of genes and proteins differently involved in cellular processes related to aging and oxidative balance such as PIN1, SIRT1, PSEN1, BDNF, TRX1 and GRX1. In particular, we used human neuroblastoma cells exposed to amyloid-beta or apoE3 and apoE4 proteins at different time-points, and selected brain regions of human apoE3 and apoE4 targeted replacement mice, as in vitro and in vivo models, respectively. All genes and proteins studied in the present investigation are modulated by amyloid-beta and apoE4 in different ways, suggesting their involvement in the neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying the AD. Finally, these proteins might represent novel potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in AD.