Costs and benefits of sustainability-oriented innovation in the agri-food industry: A review

• Nicolas Depetris-Chauvin ^[3] ; Marta Fernandez Olmos ^[1] ; Wenbo Hu ^[1] ; Giulio Malorgio ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad de Zaragoza

     Universidad de Zaragoza

     Zaragoza, España

     
  2. [2] University of Bologna

     University of Bologna

     Bolonia, Italia

     
  3. [3] University of California Berkeley, USA

  Mostrar afiliaciones +
• Localización: New medit: Mediterranean journal of economics, agriculture and environment = Revue méditerranéenne d'economie, agriculture et environment, ISSN 1594-5685, Vol. 22, Nº. 3 (junio), 2023, págs. 23-45
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • In light of the increasing demand for sustainable development, the agri-food industry is under pressure to make the transition towards sustainability. Innovation has been identified as a key driver for this transformation. However, the agri-food industry, which n many countries is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, is highly sensitive to the benefits, costs and potential risks of sustainability-oriented innovation.

    At the same time, because of the low propensity of countries in the Mediterranean region to innovate, an in-depth exploration of innovation is necessary. This paper presents a review of the costs and benefits of specific sustainability-oriented innovations, not only economic but also social and environmental, to provide a guide for researchers and adopters of sustainability-oriented innovations in the Mediterranean region. To achieve this goal, this paper classifies the elements being reviewed according to the nature of the innovation and stages of the product life cycle it overs. This paper has implications for farmers, business managers, regulators and policy makers in the Mediterranean region.