This paper analyses, through a Random Utility Model (RUM), how a public institution selects among competitive agricultural R&D projects on the basis of observable distinctive features. In particular, we aim at verifying if, which and how other criteria, beyond the pure scientific value, are...

The present paper intends to present “a short history” of a young research network established a few years ago. The network has already a European cover and impact. Its activity was very intense and the results over expectations. Moreover, the cohesion among members makes possible the...

Many farmers, in addition to normal farming activities, have already turned to agritourism as a source of additional farm income and opportunities. There are numerous benefits to be gained from the development of agritourism: it may strengthen local economy, create job opportunities and develop...

During the last years Italy, a country characterized by a long history of emigration, has seen a quickly growth of the phenomenon of immigration. Our Nation seems to be a “docking point” for new and substantial flow of immigrants mainly from Eastern Europe looking for new work opportunities....

This paper is designed to verify empirically the choices that Italian farm households make when investing in human capital. Census data from the National Institute of Statistics (Istat) were used to describe the main structural and organisational characteristics of the farms. Multivariate...

During three-hundred-year history of the market economy, the main sources of wealth creation have changed from the natural resources (mainly land and relatively unskilled labor with the exception of the master craftsman), tangible material assets (buildings, machinery and equipment, funds) to...

Multifuncionality has become a central concern at both conceptual and empirical levels. In this study, a comparative evaluation of the economic performance of conventional and multifunctional farms (mainly organic farms) was conducted for Lake Kerkini region (North Greece) with the use of mixed...

New trends in global economy require greater capacity of the agricultural workforce. In order improve agricultural productivity it is needed to increase the level of human capital of the agrarian population. Human capital is accumulated knowledge, created in the long term process of human...

The process of transition and, within it, the agricultural transformation in the Western Balkan countries resulted, in the first phase, in the weakening of the developmental performances in agriculture. Such tendencies widened the gap between the countries of the Western Balkans and the EU...