Market Trends of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Italy: Future Scenarios Based on the Delphi Method
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2023
Abstract:
The medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) sector in Italy is a niche sector that is growing
in terms of both primary production and consumption. These products seem to be important to
address several global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity conservation, drought
solutions, product diversification, product innovations, and the development of rural areas (rural
tourism in primis). This study utilised the Delphi method to identify key factors and possible
strategies that could be adopted for the future (the next 3–5 years) of the national MAP supply
chain. The research involved the collaboration of 26 experts. Individual interviews, based on a
semi-structured questionnaire, were carried out during the first round of the study. The information
and the collected data were then analysed and depicted in a mental map. The Italian MAP sector
suffers from competition from lower-cost imported products. Despite this, the experts predicted
an expansion of the MAP sector regarding aromatic herbs and certain derivative products, such as
dietary supplements, biocides, and essential oils. The experts anticipated the need to increase the
adoption of digital innovations, of developing agreements among the actors of the supply chain, and
of investing in the training of supply chain actors.
Tipologia CRIS:
03A-Articolo su Rivista
Keywords:
low-input crop; rural development; biodiversity
Elenco autori:
Daniela Spina, Cinzia Barbieri, Roberto Carbone, Manal Hamam, Mario D'Amico, Giuseppe Di Vita
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