Luxury strategies for agricultural products: a new sustainable governance model for the valorisation of the Tuscan flower supply chain

Italian floriculture suffers from market globalization and the pressure of industrialized, standardized, low-cost productions. Tuscany experiences a lack of initiatives for the enhancement of flower traditional crops, local knowledge and production practices. The project aims at valorising a differentiated Tuscan flower supply to be positioned in a high added-value niche emerging market, the floral design one. The identified tool was the activation of a shared origin-based qualification strategy, sustainably governed by an innovation multi-stakeholder platform (IP). On a theoretical basis, a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) luxury marketing approach was adopted. In terms of methodology, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach was followed. The paper led to: validate the relevant theoretical framework; define and assess the niche market; validate the potential of a B2B2C origin-based qualification strategy according to luxury marketing principles; characterize the IP.