Sustainable Business Model Innovation vs. “Made in” for International Performance of Italian Food Companies

• Main Author: Alessandra De Chiara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
• Series: Agriculture
• Subjects: quality; sustainability; food; standards; international performance; food policy
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/1/17

The quality of Italian food products, linked to Made in, has always been a competitive driver within foreign markets. However, today, getting quality choices also means engaging in responsible behavior. The paper investigates the relation between the choice of environmental and social standards and the international performance of a set of agri-food firms in Italy, examined through the multiple case study method and the tools of qualitative methodology. What role do standards play in attributing an added value to the quality of agroindustry products and differentiating sustainable products in foreign markets, thereby improving the international performance of the companies? These questions are investigated by the research in this paper. The results of the research show a significant correlation, in the interviewed companies, between corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, with reference to the adoption of standards, and international competitiveness, measured in terms of market performance as it regards the growth of foreign demand and opening to new markets.