An Insight into the Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Promotion Activities in the Piedmont Region (Italy)

The Italian Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (MAP) sector, although small, is constantly growing and is becoming particularly interesting because of the increasing attention of consumers to healthy and natural products. Moreover, it is important for marginal territories for several reasons: productive, environmental, social and economic. The goal of this preliminary study has been to collect and analyse the promotion activities of the MAP operators, whether private or public, in the Piedmont Region (North-West Italy) – as a tool to develop the sector. After a description of the sector, at both a national and a regional level, which is presented in the form of a SWOT matrix, the characteristics of the operators and of their promotion activities, as obtained from information on their websites, are described. Cooperatives, farmer associations and other operators, both private and public, are involved in these promotion activities. In some cases, the MAP promotion activities are included in enhancement and development projects of the territory, which are often carried out in collaboration with Municipalities or other public and/or private bodies or in projects funded by the European Union (EU). As pointed out in the Conclusions, greater knowledge and coordination of the regional promotion activities among the stakeholders (wholesalers, processors -including flavouring companies-, herbalists, pharmacists, final consumers and also public bodies, such as the Piedmont Region) may be useful to increase and evaluate their effectiveness and impact on the examined sector.