Explore the vast range of titles available.

The Italian legislator has adopted several instruments to discourage undeclared work and exploitative labour in agriculture, mostly of a penal-repressive nature. Among the direct and indirect policy measures, the ‘Quality Agricultural Work Network’ represents an interesting approach to producing a ‘whitelist’ of farmers compliant with labour regulations. A law proposal intends to establish the ‘Quality Agricultural Work’ (QAW) ethical label to incentivise farmers to join the network, to which a limited percentage of farms have signed up. This study aims to investigate consumer preferences for the QAW label in the Italian fruit sector. We conducted a choice experiment on a sample of 324 consumers. Willingness to pay for ethical labels was estimated before and after information treatment was administered to evaluate the prospective effects of promotional and information campaigns. The information treatment conveyed a clear and concise message about the QAW project and its ethical label. The results show that consumers would pay a high price premium for fruit produced under fair working conditions, indicating that there may be a market space for the QAW label. Moreover, consumers perceive environmental and social sustainability claims as complementary contexts where both dimensions of sustainability are relevant.Key pointsA law proposal intends to establish a ‘Quality Agricultural Work’ (QAW) ethical label to incentivise farmers to join the ‘Quality Agricultural Work Network’.We conducted a choice experiment to investigate consumer preferences for the QAW label in the Italian fruit sector.The results show that consumers would pay a high price premium for fruit produced under fair working conditions.

Purpose During the last years, the Italian pasta chain has been strongly affected by some events such as CAP reforms in the durum wheat sector that have progressively reduced government intervention in the market and a case of anti-competitive practices against pasta makers was identified and sanctioned by the Italian Antitrust Authority. The purpose of this paper is to detect the presence of market power in the different phases of the Italian pasta supply chain. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied the “first-pass” test proposed by Lloyd et al. (2009) on a set of monthly price indexes series from 2000 to 2013 in order to estimate if market power exists along Italian pasta chain. Findings Estimated results suggest that market power exists in the Italian pasta supply chain. Precisely, the presence of market power is detected for semolina producers in 2000–2004, for pasta makers in 2005–2008 as already identified by Italian antitrust and, finally, for retailers in 2008–2013. Research limitations/implications The method is a “first pass” test that only allows researchers to identify the presence of market power, but it is unable to estimate the intensity of this power. Originality/value The paper gives a contribute on estimation of market power in a food supply chain affected by CAP reform and antitrust intervention.

Imperfect competition in the food supply chain is a concern for several \"weak agents\" such as small farmers and consumers. Given the difficulties in applying standard anti-trust regulations in the agri-food system, a growing interest is emerging in a decentralized approach where private entities, such as Producer Organizations (PO), are given active role in the governance of the agricultural markets. We present a simple bargaining model assessing the POs' capacity to rebalance bargaining power along the supply chain.

Abstarct Although Italy is among the leading global producers of olives and olive oil, the sector remains structurally fragmented, posing challenges for farmers in terms of scaling production, improving bargaining power, and managing market risks. To address these issues, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has promoted the formation of Producer Organisations (POs) to enhance competitiveness. Despite institutional incentives, however, many Italian olive growers still refrain from joining POs. This study identifies the key characteristics that distinguish PO-affiliated olive growers from non-members in Italy. Drawing on both theoretical and empirical literature on farmer aggregation and employing machine learning (ML) techniques, the research offers a data-driven approach to complement traditional theory-based models. While many findings align with existing studies, the analysis also reveals new variables, particularly those related to asset specificity, that influence the likelihood of PO participation. The study presents both policy and methodological implications. First, the results can help policymakers and PO managers better target specific groups of farmers who may require additional support to achieve CAP objectives. Second, it demonstrates the value of ML-based variable selection and preprocessing in agricultural economics, offering a replicable method for identifying relevant factors in complex, high-variability sectors.

The distribution and concentration of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support and its impact on farm income have gained increasing attention in public debate and scientific literature. Previous studies highlighted the highly concentrated nature of direct payments, which represent the bulk of CAP support. Despite this, direct payments have shown mixed effects on income inequality, yielding unclear results. CAP 2023–2027 aims to address this issue by redistributive payments designed to increase support for small farms. This paper assesses the reform’s redistributive effects in Italy by comparing the status quo (2020) with a post-reform scenario (2026). Using a composite dataset integrating FADN and National Entitlements Register data, we estimate inequality indexes (Gini index, Herfindahl–Hirschman index, and 80/20 quintile share ratio). Results show improved equity in decoupled direct payments distribution: the Gini index decreases from 0.626 (2020) to 0.530 (2026), while the Herfindahl–Hirschman index drops from 4.65 to 3.27. The 80/20 quintile share ratio also improves significantly, reducing from 8.4 to 5.2. However, the reform’s impact on farm income concentration remains marginal, with only slight reductions observed across all inequality indexes.

IntroductionSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a diverse clinical presentation that involves multiple organ systems and may lead to organ damage and increased risk of mortality. SLE is associated with a high burden of disease that can include loss of productivity and employment and reduced health-related quality of life. The current standard of care for SLE is primarily based on immunosuppression and glucocorticoids and is associated with risk of toxicities and poor tolerability. Anifrolumab, a human monoclonal antibody to type I interferon receptor subunit 1, was recently approved as a new treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe SLE.Methods and analysisHere, we report the study design of the ongoing, multinational Anifrolumab Study for Treatment Effectiveness in the Real World (ASTER) that includes 3-years of follow-up beginning with the first infusion of anifrolumab and 1 year of retrospective baseline data. ASTER aims to enrol 500 adult patients receiving anifrolumab for SLE in Europe and Canada. The key study objective is to describe the real-world effectiveness of anifrolumab in routine clinical practice, including clinician-reported disease activity and patient-reported outcomes collected via mobile application. This mobile application also includes a medication diary, where patients report their prescription and non-prescription medication use for SLE on a weekly basis; these data will lend insights on treatment patterns for the study population.Ethics and disseminationThe design of the ASTER study was informed through consultations with patients with SLE who provided important insights to help maximise patient engagement, retention and the collection of key, patient-relevant endpoints. ASTER enrolment began in February 2023 and the study is expected to finish in 2029.Trial registration numberNCT05637112.

The livestock-dairy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Rwanda, is experiencing rapid growth due to population expansion, urbanisation, and changing food preferences. The unmet local production demands are causing soil and water pollution, competition for biomass, land, and water, but also grassland degradation, biodiversity loss, and increased GHGs emissions. Rwanda has the lowest productivity in the region, largely due to inadequate and poor-quality livestock feed resources. To increase animal productivity, promoting forage species with higher nutritional value and better adaptation to drought-prone and poor-fertility soils could be beneficial. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study explores Brachiaria forage adoption and profitability and analyses policy objectives and measures to overcome adoption barriers and promote the transition from subsistence to market-oriented systems. Results show that Brachiaria, although advantageous from an economic point of view, is characterised by very low adoption rates. Furthermore, access to extension programmes is limited and often not supported by adequate incentives. To overcome such barriers, policy interventions should be harmonised and information and knowledge management prioritised, public and private extension and advisory services (EASs) programmes coordinated, agricultural input subsidies increased, and institutional coordination promoted to enhance climate-smart animal feeding.

Remission is the established therapeutic goal for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is currently defined by the widely adopted Definition Of Remission In SLE (DORIS) criteria. Attainment of remission is rare in the clinical setting, thus an alternative, pragmatic treatment target of low disease activity, as defined by the Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS), provides a less stringent and more attainable treatment goal for a wider proportion of patients compared with DORIS remission. Randomized controlled trials and real-world analyses have confirmed the positive clinical benefits of achieving either DORIS remission or LLDAS. The treat-to-target (T2T) approach utilizes practical clinical targets to proactively tailor individual treatment regimens. Studies in other chronic inflammatory diseases using the T2T approach demonstrated significantly improved clinical outcomes and quality-of-life measures compared with established standard of care. However, such trials have not yet been performed in patients with SLE. Here we review the evolution of DORIS remission and LLDAS definitions and the evidence supporting the positive clinical outcomes following DORIS remission or LLDAS attainment, before discussing considerations for implementation of these outcome measures as potential T2T objectives. Adoption of DORIS remission and LLDAS treatment goals may result in favorable patient outcomes compared with established standard of care for patients with SLE. Plain Language Summary Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex disease that can affect many organs. It can lead to life-threatening complications and poor quality of life. As SLE is very different in each person, it can be challenging to measure disease activity. Doctors are encouraged to set clinical targets to tailor treatment for each patient. Clinical targets include scoring systems that measure disease improvement. Remission is an established clinical target. When a patient is in remission, disease activity is controlled, and the patient does not experience any symptoms. As remission is difficult to achieve, experts developed a more realistic yet still favorable state. This is the lupus low disease activity state, when lupus symptoms are minimal on stable therapy. Doctors use remission and low disease activity in clinical trials to compare existing SLE drugs with new treatments, including biologic drugs. Biologics target key parts of the immune system to help suppress SLE. In this review, we looked at recent clinical trials and found that biologic drugs can help patients achieve remission or low disease activity. Patients who achieved these clinical targets had slower disease progression and improved quality of life. Clinical trials in SLE should continue to use remission and low disease activity targets to help compare treatments. Doctors are encouraged to use them in their routine clinics as treatment targets to measure SLE disease control. Low disease activity state may be particularly helpful as an initial target for patients who are not yet in remission.

In the last years, Italian food retailing has experienced some developments related to rising concentration levels, heterogeneous distribution along the country of the different outlet categories, and an increase of products sold as private brand labels. In the Italian agro-food industry, pasta represents a strategic product, since Italy has the peculiarity of being, at the same time, the main producer and consumer of pasta. A useful way to investigate food retailers’ behavior and strategies is to derive a measure of price rigidity, through a “frequency approach”, which permits computation of both regular prices and price promotions, and the frequency and the magnitude of price increases and decreases. We employ such methodology in order to evaluate retailers’ strategies in the Italian pasta market in terms of price rigidity and price promotions according to brand categories (Italian pasta brands versus private label brands) and regional areas for the period 2011–2013. The results show that retailers’ strategies for national pasta brands, in terms of price rigidity and price promotions, are completely different with respect to private label brands. Among the various national pasta brands, retailers adopt different strategies by, in various regional cases, employing the tool of price promotion rather than intervening with regular price changes.

ObjectiveThe longitudinal Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Prospective Observational Cohort Study (SPOCS) aims to assess SLE disease course overall and according to type I interferon 4 gene signature (IFNGS). Here, we describe SPOCS patient characteristics by IFNGS and baseline disease activity.MethodsSPOCS (NCT03189875) is an international study of patients with SLE according to Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Enrolled patients from 135 centres in 8 countries were followed biannually for ≤3 years from June 2017 to November 2022. Baseline demographics, disease characteristics, organ system involvement/damage and flares were analysed descriptively according to SLE Disease Activity Index-2000 score (SLEDAI-2K <10/≥10) and IFNGS status (high/low).ResultsThe study population (n=823) was 93.2% female, with mean (SD) age 45.3 (13.9) years and 11.1 (9.2) years since diagnosis; 52.4% had baseline SLICC/ACR Damage Index score ≥1. Patients with SLEDAI-2K scores ≥10 (241 of 584, 41.3%) vs <10 were younger (mean 42.8 (13.7) vs 46.6 (14.2) years; nominal p=0.001), had shorter SLE duration (10.4 (8.6) vs 12.4 (9.6) years; nominal p=0.012) and more severe flares (12.9% vs 5.3%; nominal p=0.001). IFNGS-high patients (522 of 739, 70.6%) were younger than IFNGS-low patients at first SLE manifestation (30.0 (12.7) vs 36.8 (14.6) years; nominal p<0.001). Proportions of IFNGS-high patients differed according to race (nominal p<0.001), with higher proportions among Asian (83.3%) and black (86.5%) versus white patients (63.5%). Greater proportions of IFNGS-high versus IFNGS-low patients had haematological (12.6% vs 4.1%), immunological (74.4% vs 45.6%) or dermal (69.7% vs 62.2%) involvement.ConclusionsWe identified key characteristics of patients with high disease activity and/or elevated type I IFN signalling, populations with SLE with high unmet needs. Baseline SLEDAI-2K ≥10 was associated with shorter disease duration and more severe flares. IFNGS-high patients were younger at diagnosis and had distinct patterns of organ involvement, compared with IFNGS-low patients.