{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T10:35:53Z","timestamp":1787567753642,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787529600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Union Next Generation EU","award":["CN00000022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CN00000022"]}]},{"award":["CN00000022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CN00000022"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/019w4f821","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Wool is often regarded as a low-value by-product of Alpine sheep farming, despite its potential to convey the ecosystem services (ESs) generated by these systems. This study examines how awareness and perception of these services are associated with consumer attitudes towards locally produced wool in the Lanzo Valleys in Northwestern Italy. A convenience sample of 400 adults familiar with the study area completed an online questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis identified two orientations towards wool products\u2014Sustainability Orientation and Product-Value Orientation\u2014which together explained 69.33% of the variance. A TwoStep Cluster Analysis based on the component scores identified four profiles within the study sample: Sustainability-sensitive (22%), Disinterested (14.25%), Eco-aesthetic (36%), and Aesthetically aware (27.75%). Sustainability-oriented respondents attributed greater importance to ES related to biodiversity, native-breed conservation and animal welfare, whereas aesthetic and experiential attributes represented an additional, distinct dimension of product evaluation. Residence status was not significantly associated with cluster membership. Given the non-probabilistic sampling design, these profiles should be interpreted as exploratory attitudinal patterns. The findings may inform differentiated communication and wool-valorisation strategies linking environmental, cultural, aesthetic and functional values.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16172649","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T09:20:02Z","timestamp":1787563202000},"page":"2649","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Linking Ecosystem-Service Perceptions and Wool Valorisation in Alpine Sheep Farming Systems"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Chiara","family":"Costamagna","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1894-2058","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentina Maria","family":"Merlino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5185-0908","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Petrontino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165\/A, 70126 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandra","family":"Degli Esposti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0150-342X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paolo","family":"Cornale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Danielle","family":"Borra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2136-3826","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luca Maria","family":"Battaglini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1007\/s10113-022-01896-1","article-title":"Rotational Pasture Management to Increase the Sustainability of Mountain Livestock Farms in the Alpine Region","volume":"22","author":"Baronti","year":"2022","journal-title":"Reg. 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