Alternative Food Networks, agro-biodiversity and landscape protection: lessons from two rural parks

Abstract

European agricultural landscapes are important for their capacity to preserve both biodiversity and historical and traditional values in rural and peri-urban spaces. Some studies have highlighted the influence that different production methods have in shaping landscapes and the role of policy in promoting their protection at different scales. This paper underlines the potential of the integration of food production into planning tools and regulations by looking at two rural regional parks in Italy and Spain through the role played by Alternative Food Networks in generating mutual benefits for farmers and for the organizations in charge of the parks. Insights from an analysis of farms’ websites and interviews are used to show how these parks represent good practices for preserving rural landscapes. The paper shows how ecological, social and spatial values in farmers’ behaviours represent driving forces that can contribute to a more effective preservation of landscapes.