• MBA| Science and Management Programme (2020 - 2024)
• PhD in Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences| XXXVI Cycle (2020 - 2023)
• Master's Degree in Science and Technology of Forest Systems and Territories | Class LM-73 (2017 - 2019)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry and Environmental Sciences | Class L-25 (2014 - 2017)
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Forestry, Economics and Econometrics
19
Scopus Publications
216
Scholar Citations
8
Scholar h-index
7
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Consumer awareness and willingness to pay for blockchain-based traceability systems in the forest nursery sector: lessons learnt in the Italian context Stefano Bruzzese, Simone Blanc, Corrado Costa, Simona Violino, Andrea Rosario Proto, Filippo Brun Trees Forests and People, 2025 Blockchain technologies due to their inherent characteristics of immutability, transparency, distribution, and programmability can aid in the traceability of forest nursery chains. In this context, the present research investigates consumers' awareness and willingness to pay (WTP) a premium price (PP) for forest materials tracked with a blockchain-based traceability system. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered across selected forest nurseries nationwide between August 2021 and May 2023, collecting 259 valid responses. Three econometric ordered logit models were developed to assess three product attributes: sustainability, origin, and quality. The main findings reveal that most consumers are not aware of blockchain (62.6%), but those who are aware generally perceive them useful for traceability (71.4%). The attribute “origin” emerged as the most significant factor influencing WTP, while it is “quality” for which consumers are willing to pay more PP (28.9%). At the socio-demographic level, education was the most influential factor, followed by gender, age, and household size. The research indicates an embryonic demand for these technologies in the forest nursery sector, further analysis is required to determine whether this level of development is attributable to natural life cycle of an innovation or other constraining factors. Finally, this study highlights key elements for developing communication and marketing campaigns to foster the adoption of these new traceability systems.
Examining innovative designs of agri-environmental schemes in Europe: A case comparison of impact pathways Sven Wunder, Cecilia Fraccaroli, Elsa Varela, Stefano Bruzzese, Mette Termansen Ecosystem Services, 2025 • Comparing impact pathways for nine innovative AES to improve water quality, bird and plant diversity. • Result-based schemes could improve environmental outcomes, balanced against ES type and costs. • Regional schemes tailored to local conditions emphasizing trust-building had promising outcomes. • Spatial coordination incentives stimulate uptake, but cost effectiveness remains unclear. • High opportunity costs among intensive farms and complex administration hamper AES success. Agri-environmental schemes (AES), a subtype of payments for ecosystem services (PES), aim to address Europe’s environmental and climate objectives by incentivising farmers to maintain or shift to farming practices that deliver additional ecosystem services (ES). We develop a theory of change (ToC) for AES, reviewing nine European case studies at different implementation stages, yet all featuring innovative contract solutions to increase ES provision (e.g., water quality, pollination) and enhance bird and grassland biodiversity. Mirroring ecosystem and geographic variety across Europe, we analyse observed strengths and weaknesses in designing, implementing, and evaluating AES, and flag emerging research gaps. Using the comparative case study (CCS) method to analyse case-specific secondary data, we highlight the importance of local contextualization and management customization across landscapes, differentiating contract types to target variable farmer groups. Some regionally implemented schemes outside the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) framework emphasize trust-building and prove well-tailored to local conditions. New result-based schemes may achieve both farmer uptake and incremental ES delivery, depending on ES types and costs. Spatial coordination incentives (agglomeration bonuses and thresholds) stimulate farmer uptake, but their cost effectiveness remains undocumented. Collective AES schemes can work well when collaborative traditions and accumulated social capital are ex-ante present. Mixing incentive policies with regulatory threat may boost AES uptake. Generally, high opportunity costs among intensively producing farms and complex administrative processes constitute key obstacles hampering AES success. Current research mostly measures AES success in terms of farmer participation (ToC outputs ), while rigorous environmental impact evaluations (ToC outcomes and impacts ) are essentially lacking. Addressing the identified obstacles and research gaps might enhance AES effectiveness, but also provides more educated perspectives on realistic potentials for AES to support European sustainability goals.
Adding Value to Wood-Based Products: A Systematic Literature Review on Drivers Silvana Calvano, Francesco Negro, Simone Blanc, Stefano Bruzzese, Filippo Brun, Roberto Zanuttini Forests, 2025 The term “added value” is frequently used by stakeholders in the forest wood sector. However, beyond its intuitive meaning, what does “added value” mean in economics, and what are the main ways of adding value to wood-based products? To answer these questions, a theoretical framework of the concept of “added value” and an overview of its main applications within wood supply chains are provided. Subsequently, the results of a systematic literature review are reported. A total of 1974 primary research articles published in English in the last decade were collected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The main objectives were to understand how the “added value” concept is addressed, determine which wood-based products are studied, identify how value is added, and ascertain the main consequences. The analysis of the 111 selected articles showed that the term “added value” is often used as a label rather than a clearly defined concept. Improved production processes and the valorisation of raw materials were found to be the main methods of adding value to wood-based products, while environmental benefits emerged as the most frequent objective. The findings may serve several purposes, such as identifying research needs, guiding industrial innovation, and informing policy makers, helping to implement measures that really benefit wood supply chains. Building on this study, future research could explore how added value is perceived and implemented by forest enterprises, wood industries, policymakers, and other stakeholders. This would provide a broader reference framework for applying the concept of added value.
Assessing the emotional and spiritual dimension of forests: A review of existing participatory methods V. Marini Govigli, S. Bruzzese Forest Policy and Economics, 2023 Spirituality, aesthetic enjoyment, relaxation, and emotions are key non-material intangible values experienced in forests. Despite being a central issue to present-day forest policy and regulation, they are difficult to assess because they are intertwined with people's values and beliefs. In this paper, we explore which participatory methods can serve best to identify and evaluate the emotional and spiritual contributions of forests to people (henceforward Forests' Intangible Contributions to People, FICP). We do so to formulate a series of practical recommendations for forest practitioners and researchers eager to use Participatory Methods (PM) to assess the emotional and spiritual contributions of forests to people. Results from a systematic literature review of different participatory tools were validated using semi-structured interviews with PM facilitators and experts. We found 15 participatory methods used to assess Forests' Intangible Contributions to People (FICP). Performative and walking methods emerge as the most widely used. These tools capture the vision of both individuals and communities and aim at giving an active voice to the environment, making nature part of the decision-making process. This research confirms that participatory approaches are pivotal methods to unfold connections amongst stakeholders dealing with Forests' Intangible Contributions to People, supporting the multifunctional role of forests and thus the delivering of national and worldwide policy objectives.
The Decision Trees Method to Support the Choice of Economic Evaluation Procedure: The Case of Protection Forests Stefano Bruzzese, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun Forest Science, 2023 The adoption of nature-based solutions, such as forests, is playing an increasingly important role in risk analysis and related decision-making. However, decision-makers struggle to put a value on the services provided by these solutions, as there is no reference market, and are thus faced with several challenges, which relate to the choice of the best forest management program or the interventions needed to make a forest resistant and resilient to the expected negative impacts of ongoing climate change. In this article, we started with an exploratory analysis to identify the key factors in the choice of an economic method to build predictive models to support the choice in an evaluation of the forest protection service against natural hazards. The exploratory analysis showed that non-demand-based methods have a good degree of replicability and reliability and are cheaper, whereas stated preference methods can estimate the intangible component. Concerning predictive models, almost all methods showed a high level of correct classification (95%), apart from the avoided damages method (90%) and, more generally, there is no method that is valid for all operational contexts but rather the choice changes depend on the demands made by the stakeholders and their availability in economic, human, and technological terms. In conclusion, it should be remembered that the methodological framework chosen should not be seen as a substitute for the human ability to analyze complex situations but rather as an aid to this process. Study Implications: The adoption of decision support systems and methodological frameworks and guidelines can help decision-makers to make the most effective and efficient choices, in terms of time needed, resources used, and intervention costs. The combination of this decision support system with other tools, such as frameworks and guidelines, provides a flexible support system aimed at improving the design and implementation of future ecosystem service assessments and management as well as related decision-making.
A Framework Proposal for the Ex Post Evaluation of a Solution-Driven PES Scheme: The Case of Medvednica Nature Park Stefano Bruzzese, Iva Tolić Mandić, Sanja Tišma, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun, Dijana Vuletić Sustainability Switzerland, 2023 Payments for ecosystem services are a voluntary market-based instrument to remunerate provider(s) of ecosystem services by those who benefit from them. Our research aimed to create an ex post evaluation framework to identify bottlenecks and elements hindering the success of a solution-driven PES scheme. The framework was applied to a case study to assess its feasibility and concerns the provision of health and recreational services in the Medvednica Nature Park (Zagreb, Croatia). The framework was set up through three main sources: the study of PES implementation project documentation, semi-structured interviews with visitors and key stakeholders, and web-scraping of TripAdvisor reviews of the park. The main findings confirm society’s interest in the park, but the lack of mapping, quantification, and accounting of the services analysed, the little or no demand from society to pay for their provision, and confused knowledge of the property rights of some ecosystem service providers in the area limit the success of the PES scheme. The framework was useful to describe the chosen PES scheme and to identify bottlenecks and fragilities of the system in place, allowing it to correct its application flaws and, on the other hand, to demonstrate its replicability in other contexts.
A Multicriteria Analysis to Support Natural Resource Governance: The Case of Chestnut Forests Stefano Bruzzese, Simone Blanc, Silvia Novelli, Filippo Brun Resources, 2023 Efficient natural resource management prevents and reduces negative impacts, such as environmental damage, misappropriation of resources, and conflicts; several strategies can be leveraged to conserve, protect, and enhance natural resources. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) is useful in providing solutions to addressing decision choice problems. In this study, the natural resource under evaluation is the chestnut forest, with the objective of valorising its supply chains. The methodology applied is A’WOT, which allows previously identified factors, using a qualitative SWOT matrix, to be ordered through an objective quantification using the AHP (analytic hierarchy process), which is a multicriteria decision support method. The survey was conducted with a group of chestnut resource (n = 20) experts. The SWOT matrix identified a total of 20 factors: 6 strengths and 6 weaknesses and 4 factors each for opportunities and threats. The results express a clear stakeholder interest, which identifies the significant role of civil society in directing management choices for the provision and enhancement of ecosystem and vocational services. This study evaluated the adaptability of decision support tools applied to a real case of forest resource management to identify and order factors useful to enhance the resource and stimulate the supply chains to achieve greater added value. In a general sense, the methodological potential emerged to replicate or improve the research in other geographical regions, whether regional or extraregional, or even on a larger scale, such as on a national level.
A systematic review of markets for forest ecosystem services at an international level Stefano Bruzzese, Simone Blanc, Alessandro Paletto, Filippo Brun Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2023 Markets for ecosystem services (MES) can play a key role in the protection of natural capital and the remuneration of sustainable management practices. This study aims to present the state of the art on forestry MES at the international level through a systematic review. The main objectives are (i) to analyse the distribution of actual or potential markets for forest ecosystem services (FES) that exist internationally today, (ii) to identify the spatial scale at which market-based instruments (MBIs) are applied and the respective measures of economic value used to assess FES, and (iii) to identify the actors and their involvement in the implementation of forestry MES. The study collected 304 peer-reviewed publications using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol was used to guide the systematic process and select the 52 articles analysed in the review. The results show that Europe is the most representative continent in terms of geographical areas involved ( n = 8) by forestry MES, followed by America ( n = 6), Asia ( n = 5), and Africa ( n = 1). The main scale of application of MBIs for forestry MES is local, i.e., at the level of forest stand, municipality, or province ( n = 31), followed by subnational ( n = 10), national ( n = 9), and international ( n = 2). The main pattern of social composition in forestry MES is buyers, sellers, and intermediaries ( n = 25), followed by buyers and sellers only ( n = 12), buyers, sellers, intermediaries, and knowledge providers ( n = 5), and buyers, sellers, and knowledge providers ( n = 3). In terms of the measure of economic value, most studies use willingness to accept ( n = 30), as opposed to willingness to pay ( n = 17), and only 5 studies used both. Future research on forestry MES should be directed towards a better understanding of the process leading to their creation, implementation, effectiveness, governance, and level of satisfaction in economic terms of the actors involved.
Corrigendum: Civil society's perception of forest ecosystem services. A case study in the Western Alps, (Front. Psychol, (2022), 13, (1000043), 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1000043) Stefano Bruzzese, Simone Blanc, Valentina Maria Merlino, Stefano Massaglia, Filippo Brun Frontiers in Psychology, 2022 Corrigendum on: Bruzzese S, Blanc S, Merlino VM, Massaglia S and Brun F (2022) Civil society's perception of forest ecosystem services. A case study in the Western Alps. Front. Psychol. 13:1000043. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1000043.Please also check that the initials used in the Author Contributions section or elsewhere in the article are correct.In the published article, an author name was incorrectly written as [Valentino Maria Merlino]. The correct spelling is [Valentina Maria Merlino].The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.End of template, if you would like to request a correction for a reason not seen here, please contact the journal's Editorial Office
A Blockchain implemented App for forestry nursery management Simone Figorilli, Stefano Bruzzese, Andrea Rosario Proto, Corrado Costa, Lavinia Moscovini, Simone Blanc, Filippo Brun 2021 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Agriculture and Forestry Metroagrifor 2021 Proceedings, 2021
Consumer awareness and willingness to pay for blockchain-based traceability systems in the forest nursery sector: lessons learnt in the Italian context S Bruzzese, S Blanc, C Costa, S Violino, AR Proto, F Brun Trees, Forests and People, 101018 , 2025 2025
Examining innovative designs of agri-environmental schemes in Europe: A case comparison of impact pathways S Wunder, C Fraccaroli, E Varela, S Bruzzese, M Termansen Ecosystem Services 73, 101728 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Adding Value to Wood-Based Products: A Systematic Literature Review on Drivers S Calvano, F Negro, S Blanc, S Bruzzese, F Brun, R Zanuttini Forests 16 (4), 590 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Il “valore aggiunto” nei prodotti a base di legno: slogan o leva concreta per lo sviluppo del settore? S Calvano, F Negro, S Blanc, S Bruzzese, F Brun, R Zanuttini 2025
Examining the adoption of PEFC chain of custody certification in the Italian forest-based industry: An empirical study on motivations and impacts S Bruzzese, F Brun, A Galati, V Borsellino, C Mirabella, A Brunori, S Blanc Forest Policy and Economics 170, 103385 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Quali prospettive per un mercato basato sulle blockchain nel settore forestale italiano? S Bruzzese SHERWOOD. FORESTE ED ALBERI OGGI, 12-14 , 2024 2024
The influence of a heavy storm on a slope subject to rockfall phenomena: the Bazena case study B Taboni, G Umili, AM Ferrero, S Blanc, F Brun, S Bruzzese, LM Albertelli, ... ISRM Congress, ISRM-15CONGRESS-2023-470 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Assessing the emotional and spiritual dimension of forests: A review of existing participatory methods VM Govigli, S Bruzzese Forest Policy and Economics 153, 102990 , 2023 2023 Citations: 18
Integrating green and grey measures for rockfall protection: technical and economic aspects S Bruzzese, S Blanc, F Brun, B Taboni, G Umili, AM Ferrero EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, EGU-7503 , 2023 2023
A systematic review of markets for forest ecosystem services at an international level S Bruzzese, S Blanc, A Paletto, F Brun Canadian Journal of Forest Research 53 (7), 463-477 , 2023 2023 Citations: 6
A Multicriteria Analysis to Support Natural Resource Governance: The Case of Chestnut Forests S Bruzzese, S Blanc, S Novelli, F Brun Resources 12 (3), 40 , 2023 2023 Citations: 10
A Framework Proposal for the Ex-post Evaluation of a Solution-Driven Pes Scheme. The Case of Medvednica Nature Park S Bruzzese, IT Mandić, S Tisma, S Blanc, F Brun, D Vuletić Preprints , 2023 2023 Citations: 5
A Multicriteria Analysis to Support Natural Resource Governance: The Case of Chestnut Forests. Research, 12 (3), 40 S Bruzzese, S Blanc, S Novelli, F Brun 2023 Citations: 7
Ecosystem services: a public opinion analysis of Twitter users S Bruzzese, S Blanc, W Ahmed, F Brun -, 1-17 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
What new strategies for the governance and valorisation of Piedmontese chestnut forests? S Bruzzese, S Blanc, S Novelli, F Brun -, 1-1 , 2023 2023
Analysis of the demand for blockchain technologies to support the forestry supply chain S Bruzzese, S Blanc, F Brun -, 1-17 , 2023 2023
A Multicriteria Analysis to Support Natural resource Governance: The Case of Chestnut Forests. Resources 2023, 12, 40 S Bruzzese, S Blanc, S Novelli, F Brun 2023 Citations: 1
Corrigendum: Civil society's perception of forest ecosystem services. A case study in the Western Alps S Bruzzese, S Blanc, VM Merlino, S Massaglia, F Brun Frontiers in Psychology 13, 1107019 , 2022 2022
Investment Analysis of a Joint Forest and Game Management–A Case Study from Croatian Dinarides K Beljan, M Pokupić, H Maković, S Bruzzese South-east European forestry: SEEFOR 13 (2), 97-106 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
Econometric analysis of choice drivers and willingness to pay for certified forest biomasses for energy L Pippinato, S Bruzzese, R Zanchini, F Poratelli, S Blanc, F Brun Italian Review of Agricultural Economics (REA) 77 (3), 41-53 , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Strategies for the Valorisation of Chestnut Resources in Italian Mountainous Areas from a Sustainable Development Perspective S Bruzzese, S Blanc, F Brun Resources 9 (5), 60 , 2020 2020 Citations: 27
Ecosystem Services: A Social and Semantic Network Analysis of Public Opinion on Twitter S Bruzzese, W Ahmed, S Blanc, F Brun International journal of environmental research and public health 19 (22), 15012 , 2022 2022 Citations: 26
Civil society’s perception of forest ecosystem services. A case study in the Western Alps S Bruzzese, S Blanc, VM Merlino, S Massaglia, F Brun Frontiers in Psychology 13, 1000043 , 2022 2022 Citations: 24
Enhancing wood products through ENplus, FSC and PEFC certifications: Which attributes do consumers value the most? R Zanchini, S Blanc, L Pippinato, F Poratelli, S Bruzzese, F Brun Forest Policy and Economics 142, 102782 , 2022 2022 Citations: 22
Assessing the emotional and spiritual dimension of forests: A review of existing participatory methods VM Govigli, S Bruzzese Forest Policy and Economics 153, 102990 , 2023 2023 Citations: 18
Willingness to pay for certified wooden products: a critical literature review F Poratelli, S Blanc, L Pippinato, R Zanchini, S Bruzzese, F Brun Forestry Studies 76 (1), 46-63 , 2022 2022 Citations: 12
A Multicriteria Analysis to Support Natural Resource Governance: The Case of Chestnut Forests S Bruzzese, S Blanc, S Novelli, F Brun Resources 12 (3), 40 , 2023 2023 Citations: 10
A Blockchain implemented App for forestry nursery management S Figorilli, S Bruzzese, AR Proto, C Costa, L Moscovini, S Blanc, F Brun 2021 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Agriculture and Forestry … , 2021 2021 Citations: 9
Adding Value to Wood-Based Products: A Systematic Literature Review on Drivers S Calvano, F Negro, S Blanc, S Bruzzese, F Brun, R Zanuttini Forests 16 (4), 590 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Examining the adoption of PEFC chain of custody certification in the Italian forest-based industry: An empirical study on motivations and impacts S Bruzzese, F Brun, A Galati, V Borsellino, C Mirabella, A Brunori, S Blanc Forest Policy and Economics 170, 103385 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
The decision trees method to support the choice of economic evaluation procedure: the case of protection forests S Bruzzese, S Blanc, F Brun vEGU21: Gather Online, 1-1 , 2021 2021 Citations: 8
A Multicriteria Analysis to Support Natural Resource Governance: The Case of Chestnut Forests. Research, 12 (3), 40 S Bruzzese, S Blanc, S Novelli, F Brun 2023 Citations: 7
A systematic review of markets for forest ecosystem services at an international level S Bruzzese, S Blanc, A Paletto, F Brun Canadian Journal of Forest Research 53 (7), 463-477 , 2023 2023 Citations: 6
Examining innovative designs of agri-environmental schemes in Europe: A case comparison of impact pathways S Wunder, C Fraccaroli, E Varela, S Bruzzese, M Termansen Ecosystem Services 73, 101728 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
A Framework Proposal for the Ex-post Evaluation of a Solution-Driven Pes Scheme. The Case of Medvednica Nature Park S Bruzzese, IT Mandić, S Tisma, S Blanc, F Brun, D Vuletić Preprints , 2023 2023 Citations: 5
Econometric analysis of choice drivers and willingness to pay for certified forest biomasses for energy L Pippinato, S Bruzzese, R Zanchini, F Poratelli, S Blanc, F Brun Italian Review of Agricultural Economics (REA) 77 (3), 41-53 , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
Web-Based Communication of Wooden Sport Equipment: An Analysis Based on Six Olympic Sports F Negro, S Blanc, S Bruzzese, A Falaschi, F Ruffinatto, R Zanuttini, F Brun Forests 13 (9), 1364 , 2022 2022 Citations: 4
T3. 3.1-Report “TEGRAV analysis: an integrated model to compare risk management strategies” F Poratelli, C Accastello, F Brun, S Bruzzese, SD Blanc Torino, Italy: Interreg Alpine Space project GreenRisk4ALPs (ASP635) , 2020 2020 Citations: 3
Investment Analysis of a Joint Forest and Game Management–A Case Study from Croatian Dinarides K Beljan, M Pokupić, H Maković, S Bruzzese South-east European forestry: SEEFOR 13 (2), 97-106 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
The forest protection service: a risk management decision support tool S Bruzzese, S Blanc, F Brun EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, EGU21-10655 , 2021 2021 Citations: 2
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Agrifood Execution Consultant at xFarm Technologies, Milan (IT) - (Oct 2023 - May 2024)