Abstract
During the last 70 years, since the end of WW II, Italian agriculture has increased its productivity but, despite the national and European financial support to the primary sector, millions of farms have closed their operations, millions of hectares have been abandoned, and millions of farmers have emigrated to towns and abroad. Rural desertification has been aggravated by the closures of public offices and private businesses. Against this grim scenario, this paper illustrates, with the most recent available data, the evolution and growth of two sub-sectors, organic farming and agritourism. Both sub-sectors were initially contrasted and the first farmers adopting these strategies have encountered problems and obstacles, they were fined, and sometimes had to close their operations. In both cases, the pioneers resisted, organized themselves, and—thanks also to the support of consumers and some scientists, were able to lobby local, national, and European law makers for appropriate legislation. The first part of the article contains the data about the evolution and distribution of agritourism and organic farms, while the second part compares several aspects of the two sub-sectors.
Highlights
Italian agriculture, when valued according to the traditional methods of national accounting, nowadays represents only a minor share of the Added Value produced in the country, slightly above two percent, and employs less than four percent of the total labour force (CREA, 2019)
Qualitative information has been provided by experts of the organic value chain and by experts of agritourism, who work within public bodies, local organizations, public research centres, and universities
For example, considers several aspects of rurality, agricultural management, quality of hospitality, human resources, etc., and classifies the agritourism farms into three different classes, recognizable thanks to a logo showing from one to three ears. Another type of voluntary certification is issued by ICEA, a large private certification body focusing on organic management, that certifies the environmental qualities of the agritourism
Summary
Italian agriculture, when valued according to the traditional methods of national accounting, nowadays represents only a minor share of the Added Value produced in the country, slightly above two percent, and employs less than four percent of the total labour force (CREA, 2019). Vol 3, No 1, 2021 evident that new activities must be found to ensure the survival of the farming sector and of many rural areas. The diversification of the on-farm activities can offer sustainable new opportunities for the individual farmers, their families, and for the rural communities. This process is not easy and will not be accepted by all stakeholders, but it is unavoidable. Qualitative information has been provided by experts of the organic value chain and by experts of agritourism, who work within public bodies, local organizations, public research centres, and universities
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