Abstract
Mountain husbandry systems and their related products may directly or indirectly provide either ecosystem services (ESs) or disservices to humanity. The present study aims to evaluate the perception that a local mountain community has towards animal husbandry in the Lanzo Valleys (Piedmont, Italy) and towards the typical local dairy product, Toma di Lanzo, as well as to investigate the consumers’ habits and preferences, to detect possible positive impacts on mountain tourism. A questionnaire was delivered to 233 respondents. The perception of the impact was scored using a five-point Likert scale. The results show a very positive perception of the product Toma di Lanzo because of its origin and type of processing, with different perceptions of the local society depending on age (p < 0.01), residence (p < 0.01), and education level (p < 0.05). The respondents had a very positive awareness of the impact of mountain livestock farming in the Lanzo Valleys. The most important perceived ESs are cultural identity and maintenance of local breeds. Women, non-residents, and respondents with an intermediate education level generally had a more positive perception of ESs. There was a very low perception of disservices derived from mountain animal farming. The main perceived obstacles to the spread of benefits derived from these farming systems were the scarce presence of specific supporting politics and the low income generated by mountain farming activities. The coexistence of touristic activities and extensive livestock farming systems has to be associated with a better promotion of mountain products like Toma di Lanzo to improve the sustainability of mountain regions.
Highlights
The concept of ecosystem services is rooted in the simple notion that humanity is dependent on the natural environment in which it lives [1]
Reference [23] did not take into account the point of view of the local community, represented by residents and visitors; in this paper, we aim to integrate this scenario with the missing information, i.e., the role of the local community and its perception of the ecosystem services and disservices of mountain livestock farming systems, as well as of a typical local dairy product, in an alpine territory included in the Italian Strategy for Inner Areas, the Lanzo Valleys [43], in order to highlight possible strategies for the sustainable development of the area
Our results show that the interviewees appreciate the territory of the Lanzo Valleys and its typical products
Summary
The concept of ecosystem services is rooted in the simple notion that humanity is dependent on the natural environment in which it lives [1]. Mountain livestock farming systems are peculiar ecosystems based on the direct use of pastures by animals, and they provide several provisioning services to humanity, among which the most recognized is that of supplying food, leather, fiber, and manure [4]. They provide many non-provisioning services that are extremely relevant for society, such as genetic conservation, water regulation and purification, pollination, landscape maintenance, recreational activity, ecotourism, the production of cultural heritage, and others [5], whose economic quantification is difficult, as they are difficult to privatize. Depending on the intensity of the production system and on the use of resources [1,6], livestock farming systems can be responsible for the production of disservices, such as damage to the landscape, the hydrology, and the environment [6]
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