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Agricultural intensification (AI) negatively affects the environment through soil degradation, loss of agrobiodiversity, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nutrient leaching. Thus, the introduction of crop diversification strategies and alternative management practices is crucial to re-design AI systems. To better understand the contribution of crop diversification to a more sustainable agricultural systems, an accurate evaluation of synergies and trade-offs is needed. In this context, the five-year Horizon 2020 DIVERFARMING project aims to define sustainable, diversified cropping systems with low-input farming practices, adopting a multidisciplinary approach. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of farming practices and crop diversification strategies in intensive rainfed and irrigated cereal-based cropping systems in Italy. The study engaged stakeholders by public consultations to capture their practical knowledge of current farming practices for promoting suitable diversified cropping system, as alternative to AI systems. The analysis of the stakeholders’ perceptions of barriers and opportunities to diversification transition of cropping systems was done using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The most important agro-environmental problem identified by the stakeholders in both the cropping systems was the loss of profitability, associated with the risk of farm abandonment, while minimum tillage, maintenance of vegetation covers, application of organic matter/manure and use of green manure, integrated pest management, and change of rotations were identified as the most adequate and effective practices to be adopted in the case study areas. Crop rotation and legumes were the most adequate diversification strategies selected for the intensive rainfed cereal-based cropping systems, while crop rotations with processing tomato and multiple cropping with short cycle maize and wheat were selected as the most appropriate alternatives for irrigated cereal-based production. Our findings highlight relevant strengths and drawbacks for the implementation of diversified cropping systems under low-input agricultural practices. An important strength is that the crop alternatives selected for the diversification are already cultivated as monocultures and are adapted to the local pedoclimatic conditions, while a major weakness is that few farmers are experts in crop diversification. These results can provide insights to support the planning of agricultural policies at different levels.

To evaluate the mitigation potential provided by the SOC pool, we investigated the impact of woody encroachment in the 0–30 cm depth of mineral soil across a natural succession from abandoned pastures and croplands to broadleaves forests on the central Apennine in Italy. In parallel, to assess the effect of the land use change (LUC) from cropland to pasture, a series of pastures established on former agricultural sites, abandoned at different time in the past, were also investigated. Our results show that woody encroachment on former pastures and croplands contributes largely to mitigate climate change, with an increase of the original SOC stock of 45% (40.5 Mg C ha−1) and 120% (66.5 Mg C ha−1), respectively. Also the LUC from croplands to pastures, greatly contributes to climate change mitigation trough a SOC increase of about 80% of the original SOC (45.9 Mg C ha−1). The management of abandoned lands represent a crucial point in the mitigation potential of agriculture and forestry activities, and particularly the role of the SOC pool. A policy effort should focus on minimizing the risk of speculative management options, particularly when the value of woody biomass become convenient to supply new energy systems allowing monetizing a long term forests productivity. In conclusion, despite both the land abandonment and the LUC can have a different impact on the SOC pool under different climatic conditions, these results can be useful to improve the SOC estimates in the National greenhouse gases Inventory at country level.

The paper aims at understanding how innovations, that are promoted and facilitated by private actors, can be fostered by network creation and actor engagement in the agri-food value chains. More specifically, we investigated innovative governance mechanisms related to the introduction of new sustainable practices in food value chains and tried to evaluate the environmental, economic and social effects of these new practices. We use information derived from a case study based on an ongoing project in the North of Italy, where in 2013 a multinational corporation operating in the pasta and bakery sector has initiated an agreement with other three agri-food companies in order to facilitate sustainable sourcing from a group of farmers., Italian Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol 71 No 1 (2016): Vol 71, No 1 (Suppl.) (2016)

La presente ricerca rientra nell’ambito degli studi socioeconomici di carattere territoriale e si pone lo scopo di riuscire a sviluppare una metodologia capace di arricchire la fase di studio e di analisi preliminare alla progettazione degli interventi politici ed economici che mirano al miglioramento del benessere nella popolazione. L’interesse per un simile argomento deriva dalla constatazione che in tempi recenti la parola “benessere” ha assunto un ruolo centrale nel dibattito politico ed economico. Lo schema teorico di riferimento è il modello stock e flussi (SeF), proposto da Mauro Bonaiuti, come rivisitazione del modello fondi e flussi con cui Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen ha riletto la teoria della produzione in chiave bioeconomica. Il modello SeF servendosi della teoria dei sistemi complessi, ha definito in modo più approfondito le caratteristiche dei fondi, rinominati stock, e dei flussi coinvolti nei sistemi di produzione e consumo. L’impostazione peculiare di un’analisi basata sul SeF è quella di valutare come le caratteristiche strutturali relative alla sfera ambientale, sociale ed economica (stock) riescano a trasformare entità fisiche, materia ed energia (flussi in input), in benessere e scarti (flussi di output). Il modello parte dall’ipotesi che i soli flussi di beni e servizi non siano in grado di produrre alcun benessere ma che è l’insieme di stock e flussi, e soprattutto la loro interazione, a originare il godimento della vita individuale e il benessere della collettività. Con questo lavoro, seguendo l’approccio proprio dell’economia territoriale, si è voluto procedere a una prima verifica di quanto teorizzato con il modello stock e flussi e verificare quanto le caratteristiche economiche, ambientali, sociali e valoriali di un sistema territoriale siano in grado di contribuire alla generazione di benessere per la comunità locale. Da tale approccio scaturisce il carattere fortemente multidisciplinare dell’analisi che, oltre a connotarsi come ricerca economicopolitica, si serve di contributi provenienti da discipline quali la sociologia e la psicologia. La ricerca propone una metodologia capace di individuare strumenti e procedure adatte a rilevare i diversi livelli di benessere eudaimonico prodotti da un sistema economico locale per poi metterli in relazione con le dotazioni delle differenti strutture di produzione e consumo (stock). La metodologia proposta è stata testata e validata con un’applicazione empirica che, per motivi di ordine conoscitivo ed interpretativo, è stata condotta sui sistemi locali del lavoro circoscritti dai confini amministrativi della provincia di Viterbo. I risultati dell’applicazione empirica hanno confermato la validità del modello teorico, la correttezza della metodologia e allo stesso tempo hanno offerto una serie di nuovi spunti per ulteriori ricerche future in merito alla progettazione di interventi di politica economica finalizzati al miglioramento dei livelli di benessere duraturo nelle comunità locali. This research enters in the socio-economic studies with a territorial perspective, and it has the objective to develop a methodology capable of enriching the study phase of preliminary design and analysis of political and economic interventions aimed at improving the welfare population. The interest in such an argument stems from the fact that in recent times the word “welfare” has assumed a central role in the political and economic debate. The theoretical frame of reference is the stock and flows model (S&F), proposed by Mauro Bonaiuti, an adaptation of the funds and flows model with which Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen has interpreted the theory of production in a bio-economic key. The S&F model, using the theory of complex systems, describes in detail the characteristics of the funds, renamed stocks, and of the flows involved in the systems of production and consumption. The unique setting of an analysis based on the S&F is to assess how the structural features related to the environmental, social and economic sphere (stock) are able to transform physical entities, matter and energy (input flows), in welfare and waste (output streams). The model assumes that the flows of goods and services are not able to produce any well, but that is the set of stocks and flows, and especially their interaction, that gives rise to the enjoyment of life and wellbeing of the individual community. The intent of this work, following the specific approach of local economy, is to conduct an initial review of the stocks and flows model in order to verify how the economic, environmental, social and value characteristics of a territorial system are able to contribute to the generation of wealth for the local community. From this approach arises the strongly multi-disciplinary feature of the analysis that, in addition to brand itself as an economic-policy research, makes use of contributions from disciplines such as sociology and psychology. The research proposes a methodology able to identify tools and procedures adapted to detect different levels of eudaimonia produced by a local economic system and then put them in connection with the allocations of the different structures of production and consumption (stock). The proposed methodology has been tested and validated with an empirical application that, for cognitive and interpretive reasons, has been carried out in the local employment systems of the province of Viterbo. The results of the empirical analysis has confirmed the validity of the theoretical model, the correctness of the methodology and at the same time offered a number of new ideas for further research on the future design of economic policy measures designed to improve long-term welfare in local communities. Dottorato di ricerca in Economia e territorio

This study tackles the quantification of in-store food waste, with a specific focus on the distinction between the edible and inedible fraction. A meta -analysis of the studies dealing with retail food waste quantification is provided to identify the results obtained so far. Then, the mass and value of food waste produced in 2015 at one retail store in Italy is analysed, basing on the store's food waste records and on the reports of a redistribution initiative involving the edible fraction of the food waste produced. In one year, 70.6 tons of food (for a value of nearly 170,000 €) are wasted, mostly bread and fresh fruit and vegetables. The edible fraction accounts for 35% of the total food waste, mostly from fresh meat and bakery departments. Results also disclose a significant amount of unrecorded food waste, confirming that many gaps exist in the food waste recording procedure at retail stores.