Ornamentals are the most diversified products and fast-changing industry of horticulture. A new flower and ornamental plant market scenario is developing: remarkable opportunities are emerging, but more efforts are required by both public and private stakeholders to seize them and assure a high-value positioning. Our paper aims at filling the gap in the availability of integrated data sources and structured theoretically sound studies on new consumption trends, marketing strategies, and governance settings. Specific objectives are: identifying an innovative ornamental horticulture market data framework; evidencing evolving dynamics of competition in Europe and necessary adaptions of public and private action; defining a new action-research agenda, capable of stimulating the interest of businesses, researchers, and institutions. In terms of methodology, we carry out an innovative integrative review analysis of the wide and most reliable grey literature and statistics, using a comprehensive approach. Results show the emerging consumption dynamics and high-value consumer profiles characterizing the European market, expected to significantly expand and transform, according to the impact of globalization, climate change, urbanization, digitalization, and the affirmation of neo-luxury and sustainability-oriented consumption patterns. The evolution of marketing strategies and governance settings is also highlighted, together with the necessity of developing and integrating public and private initiatives for realizing high-value sustainable and transparent production systems and supply chains. Accordingly, relevant action-research directions are described. These findings are expected to improve the current debate on the competitiveness of the European ornamental industry and contribute to taking a step towards a synergic combination of new differential advantages and wider sustainability goals.

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The international and European literature and institutional contexts are fostering agrobiodiversity as the foundation of a new paradigm for localized agri-food system development and sustainability. Accordingly, new systemic and holistic theoretical approaches and conceptual models are needed. This paper aims to identify and apply a new conceptual framework contributing to the understanding of how the restoring and valorization of underutilized or neglected landraces can act as a trigger for sustainable territorial development. A new holistic model was designed for the characterization and analysis of agrobiodiversity-oriented food systems. We consider the model innovative in enhancing the conceptualization of the adoption of a socio-ecological systems approach. We applied the model to a representative case study involving the localized agri-food system of the Valtiberina Red Onion, a threatened plant landrace cultivated in Tuscany, Italy. A participatory action–research approach was followed, involving both public and private stakeholders. As the main outcome of the paper, we demonstrated the capability of our new SES model by identifying and describing the assets, drivers, human action processes and generated beneficial effects concerning the development and reproduction of landrace-based quality valorization virtuous circles. Our research findings highlighted the model as an innovative tool for the analysis of agrobiodiversity-oriented food systems sustainability. Significantly, the model was designed to identify the combined role of public policy and private action in supporting the implementation of coherent management mechanisms and effective governance settings.