Regional competitiveness of fresh vegetable production in Europe – a cluster and value chain perspective

Fresh fruit and vegetable is a dynamic and innovative industry evidencing relevant changes in the organization of inter‐firm business relationships. In the supply chain based competition environment of today’s world markets, relational approaches between the main actors of agribusiness marketing chains evolve. A decisive element for organisation of the local production and marketing system is that retailers transformed themselves from resellers of products to actors that play a critical role in product development, branding, supplier selection and distribution. The paper reports results from two case studies in Germany and Italy showing that the continuing concentration process on the distribution level as well as the management of themarketing chain exerted by the buying side interfere with the integrity of the regionally consolidated horticultural production and marketing system – characterised by close and frequent interactions between the horticulture business participants. Aim of the study is exploring the structure and coordination mechanisms of fresh‐vegetable chains in Europe on a regional level. A value‐chain approach was chosen to be the main analytical tool due to its effectiveness in explaining the distribution of tasks, risks, responsibilities and margins along the market chain. The analysis is complemented by a cluster‐approach technique to determine interdependent relationships between regional cooperation forces and the development of regional economies. The interviews of both case studies, Germany (19) and Italy (18) have been fully transcribed. The first case study was conducted in Germany, Palatinate, which is an important fresh vegetables production region. In the second case study, Italy (Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, which are important for fresh vegetables and fruit production), the existence of a fresh vegetable cluster was not that clear. Emilia‐Romagna is especially characterised by a high concentration of distribution and logistic operations related to produce coming from several areas in Italy and Europe. In the current phase of research, results of the study are still preliminary. The qualitative and time‐consuming analysis of the interviews to extract central concepts is still in progress. In a further step, after single case analysis, a cross‐case‐analysis of the concepts will be conducted to elaborate similarities and differences.