L'ECONOMIA CONTRATTUALE NELLA FILIERA ORTOFRUTTICOLA PIEMONTESE

The aim of the study has been to assess the evolution and the current state of the economics of contracts in the fruit and vegetable industries in the Piedmont Region. The focus has been on contracts of vertical integration and supply specification among growers, processors, wholesalers and retailers. The first part of the study deals with an analysis and a comparison of the existing literature on this topic. The second part deals with the results of a research survey which enables us to describe the contracts, and to measure the quantity and the value of fruit and vegetable productions when subject to contracts. The last part presents an appraisal of the “degree of integration” of the contracts examined, and suggests a strategy for the development of the economics of contracts in the fruit and vegetable sectors.