Agri-food typical products events: promotional tools for a territory in Southern Italy

Abstract

For most of the hilly, mountainous and inland areas, local and typical agri-food products represent an important tool for producing income, guaranteeing food and nutritional security, providing an answer to basic human needs and the desire to improve the quality of life. The survival of these areas is strongly linked to the persistence of these products, which, in addition to having to be profitable for the communities that produce them and who live from them, must also impose themselves within the framework of the competitiveness imposed by the markets. In fact, it happens that, for many of them, although the production conditions guarantee quality and food safety, the same cannot be said about their ability to compete with most of the semi-industrial productions. Thanks to consumers survey the study proposes a reading of the relationships between food and wine events / manifestations of an internal area in Southern Italy and some local food products offered in the stalls and food stands on occasion of such events. From a methodological point of view, it was decided to apply the “Social Network Analysis” (SNA), comparing gastronomic, folkloristic and cultural events that were detected in the area and with some local food products present in the stalls and stands. The area considered is very interesting with reference to the typical and traditional products, among which the less known and widespread truffle has only recently begun to establish itself. The results showed that some of the products taken into consideration are recurrent, that is, always present in the various events in the area, others less so. The data shows the attractiveness that these events and gastronomic events are able to trigger in consumers and the interest and propensity to buy that the food of local tradition. In particular, tourists seek the experience of local gastronomy and the culture and identity of the destination visited. Reading these data provides some information on the competitive strength that food and wine events and local productions are able to arouse. Events and demonstrations such as those highlighted in the work help to preserve the identity and authenticity of local traditions.