New Opportunities for Work Integration in Rural Areas: The ‘Social Flavour’ of Craft Beer in Italy

Jacopo Sforzi,Laura A Colombo

doi:10.3390/su12166351

Abstract

The last decade has seen a flourishing of social agriculture cooperatives and the exponential growth of the craft beer sector in Italy. Social microbreweries (social cooperatives that operate in the craft beer sector) have started emerging but have not yet been a focus of research. This paper explores the relationship between social agriculture and microbreweries in Italy, bridging the gap between social agricultural cooperation and craft beer production. It deploys a qualitative multiple case study methodology, based on the in-depth analysis of three case studies: Vecchia Orsa, one of the oldest social microbreweries in Italy; Pintalpina, which operates in a unique alpine setting; Articioc, established by a group of friends with a love of craft beer. This research suggests that the craft beer sector provides important opportunities for social innovation in social cooperatives, with a particular focus on the work integration of vulnerable people. In addition, this paper highlights different pathways for scaling social microbreweries, including focusing on organisational growth (growing the size of the business), scaling out (impacting greater numbers) and scaling deep (impacting cultural roots). Different scaling approaches are united by a common scaling strategy: network and partnership building. This emerges as an essential action to increase the impact of social microbreweries.

Highlights

In recent years, following the 2008 economic crisis, the inability of the public sector to provide financially viable social services has become apparent, in rural areas [1]
This paper focuses on social farming in Italy from the unique perspective of the craft beer sector
This paper has explored the relationship between social agriculture and microbreweries, linking craft beer production and social agricultural cooperation

Summary

Introduction

In recent years, following the 2008 economic crisis, the inability of the public sector to provide financially viable social services has become apparent, in rural areas [1]. The growing phenomenon of social farming is a clear example of this transition towards multifunctional strategies in rural areas. In this context, this paper focuses on social farming in Italy (known as social agriculture) from the unique perspective of the craft beer sector. This paper focuses on social farming in Italy (known as social agriculture) from the unique perspective of the craft beer sector It aims at exploring the link between social agriculture and microbreweries, bridging the gap between craft beer production and social agricultural cooperation. This paper seeks to shed light on the role of social microbreweries offering new work integration opportunities for vulnerable people in rural areas and to highlight different strategies for scaling social microbreweries. In a context of flourishing social agriculture and exponential growth of the craft beer sector, how are social microbreweries seeking to scale? In other words, how are they seizing the opportunity to develop out of their niche, improving the effectiveness of their activities and fulfilling the needs they were constituted to address?

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