Strategies for market food industry in southern Italy: some results through structured interview

Fulvio Rizzo, Carlo Giannetto, Vihra Dimitrova, Ferdinando Ofria, Maurizio Lanfranchi, Mariana Ivanova

Abstract: In a global market, agro-food innovation becomes a fundamental element for the development and growth of a company. But the introduction of innovations cannot be separated from the implications related to the differentiation of agricultural or agro-food products, or to the improvement of the quality of the product. This research seeks to identify, through structured interviews, the market strategy followed by the entrepreneurs of the food sector in Sicily. The data that is collected through interviews with entrepreneurs in the agro-food sector Sicilian (year 2017) identifi es the prevailing strategy followed by agribusiness Sicily. This research has followed the model of Vázquez-Barquero to interpret the strategies of fi rms interviewed in Sicily. Companies surveyed in this research show that all Sicilian provinces seems to prevail a market strategy of an innovative nature. In particular, it is noted that: almost all entrepreneurs interviewed, to be competitive, they prefer to improve the quality
of the product, rather than reduce production costs.

Keywords: agro-food industry; regional economic development; rural economy; southern Italy

Date published: 2018-08-30