Recent trends in the economic impact of Drosophila suzukii

Abstract

As D. suzukii was spreading almost globally, during the last decade the economic implications of the invasion have been examined by a rather heterogeneous body of research. Our review point out that the focus of these studies gradually moved from raising awareness about the magnitude of the damage, particularly on the industry, to aiding the decision-making process with regard to the control strategies progressively developed. The chapter then presents an update of an estimate carried out in the early phase of the invasion about the pest's impact on soft fruit industry in the province of Trento (Italy). On the basis of conservative assumptions, the economic impact on soft fruit production in the province of Trento amounts to 9% of the potential revenues, mostly due to costly control measures. Our estimates show that a decade after its introduction, D. suzukii keeps having a substantial negative impact on berry and cherry production.