The creation of a local supply chain for large wild ungulates meat : Opportunities and limitation from an Italian alpine case study

In the last decades, Italian populations of large wild ungulates increased. Management and containment strategies have been proposed aimed at preventing overpopulation, with a consequent increase of culling and availability of game meat. The present research focuses on the opportunities and limitations associated with the creation of a supply chain for the meat produced by hunting activities of red deer - Cervus elaphus, roe deer - Capreolus capreolus, chamois - Rupicapra rupicapra, mouflon - Ovis orientalis, and wild boar - Sus scrofa. Data have been collected through self-compiled questionnaire submitted to hunters participating to the 2014 hunting season in the Italian Alpine area of Verbano and Val D’Ossola North-West Italian Alps. Results suggest that Italian large wild ungulates lacks the requirements for trade, nonetheless some adjustments are proposed in order to promote and support a local supply chain for type of product.