The Role of Process and Product Innovation in the Reorganisation of the Principal Beef Slaughtering Firms in Italy

Summary

The study reports themain results of research into process and product innovation in the beef processing industry in Italy. The following aspects are examined: the characteristics of meat production of the 11 largest Italian firms, whose production volume accounts for about 20% of the meat slaughtered in Italy; the supply of animals for slaughter; the distribution channels used and the innovations in production processes introduced in the last ten years. The results show that, in general, the industry possesses the technological know-how and organisational ability to put forward a number of innovatory products, but that the large-scale introduction of these products on the market has hitherto been held up by problems associated with the currently unfavourable economic situation and by difficulties in distribution. Especially important, if these innovatory production processes are to be successful, are the ongoing links between the processing industry and large scale distribution, since the latter now absorbs more than 40% of the production of these firms.

Though, the studywas performed jointly, F. Pecci was responsible for writing sections 2, 5,7 and 8, S. Gatti for section 4 and P. Varini for sections 3 and 6, as well as making up the questionnaires given to firms. The conclusions represent the joint opinion of the authors. The work was performed under the aegis of the CNR-RAISA project, Problem-Area 1.2. “Competitivity and development of territorial systems in agriculture”. Research supported by National Research Council of Italy, Special Project RAISA, Sub-project n. 1, Paper n. 2211.