Abstract
The conservation of perceived scenery of traditional extensive and diversified landscapes is a valuable aim for reaching sustainable rural development. Considering the financial budget assigned and the application rules of European Union agricultural policy (Common Agricultural Policy—CAP), the relationship between perceived landscape benefits and CAP first pillar payments is an interesting aspect to analyze. In this study, a cost-benefit analysis has been carried out in a rural area of Central Italy that represents typical Italian conditions of hilly territories. Greening payment, a mechanism aimed to boost public goods, including landscapes and their ecological functionality, was selected as a proxy for policy cost of preserving traditional extensive landscapes. The benefits of greening have been evaluated through the analysis of the people’s willingness to pay for the maintenance of extensive and diversified landscapes. The analysis conducted does not explicitly consider the full range of environmental benefits determined by greening, even if some interviewees may have perceived them in addition to the visual perception of the rural landscape. The present study can contribute to the debate on the agricultural policy post-2020, especially for a future definition of long-lasting and cost-effective sustainable interventions in hilly and extensive rural landscapes.
Highlights
Agriculture shapes landscapes and rural areas are one of the most important geographic zones for the functionality of social-ecological systems
This study aims at contributing to the debate on agricultural policy efficiency in terms of aesthetic and scenery values of a typical agroforestry system of central Italy
The occupation with fixed monthly income leads to a higher probability of affirmative response (i.e., High willingness to pay (WTP)) as the importance of people’s awareness in sustainable rural development concepts
Summary
Agriculture shapes landscapes and rural areas are one of the most important geographic zones for the functionality of social-ecological systems. As stated in the Florence European Convention on Landscape (2000), perceived beautiful and harmonic landscapes are a result of the integration between human activities and nature. Some anthropogenic activities, such as urbanization and intensive agriculture, can strongly affect the landscape’s ecological functionality by altering the complex pattern of ecological key features (i.e., hedges, woodlands, pastures) that support the biodiversity and the local and regional natural capital [3,4]. Above all, in Italy, the aesthetic and scenery proprieties are very important for rural areas because they are a source of touristic attraction and consequential income for residents and local entrepreneurs
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