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The interactive approach implies that a heterogeneous group of actors cooperates to identify, develop, and introduce innovative solutions on the ground. Twenty-year studies have shown this approach to be the most suitable to support innovation and knowledge sharing in the agri-food system. The present study aims to analyse how the interaction process works in the implementation of OGs in Italy, and its effectiveness, given the relevance assigned to EIP AGRI as a driver for innovation in the past and the current CAP programming periods. An online survey submitted to 270 OGs and 10 in-depth case studies were used to analyse the interaction process and verify whether a common implementation pattern can be identified. The results show that the implementation of OGs in Italy helped capture the real issues of farmers/rural entrepreneurs and support the creation and strengthening of relationships between partners. However, low levels of internal and external communications and the lack of efforts to disseminate the results reduced the effectiveness of the groups. The study showed how complex it is to describe the processes triggered by the interactive approach, being that it is influenced by the type of relationships existing between partners and by other external factors. The implementation of the next generation of OGs could be strengthened by improving their capacity to address the issues of large groups of farmers, promoting the presence of intermediaries to dialogue between partners and facilitating the active participation of advisors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, food-related policy initiatives have proliferated, such as food strategies, food plans, food councils, food districts and food communities, just to name the more relevant ones. Far from being systematically defined and logically systematized, these concepts often overlap or are used as synonyms. The paper has systematically traced the current trends showing how these concepts are used in the current debate, the theoretical background on which they are grounded and the public policies they call for, following a threefold approach: (1) a literature analysis to establish the state of academic research on food systems in its multidimensionality; (2) a review of the existing national legislation to detect the utilization of food policy-related lemmas in the normative; (3) a computational linguistic analysis applied on institutional documentation to explore how cities and territories are using concepts and definitions in the grey literature. The results show that the construction of narratives around the topic of food systems planning is experiencing a momentum, with particular emphasis on principles, background premises and governance aspects. In this context, the risk of marginality for the agricultural sector in such discourses and narratives is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are one of the most direct approaches to more directly connecting consumers with producers. The scaling-up of SFSCs is often challenged by critical issues which can be overcome with identification of the most sustainable, replicable schemes. This paper presents the results of a participatory analysis conducted within the agroBRIDGES H2020 project, with the aim of defining a list of economic, social, and environmental attributes and indicators to assess the sustainability of SFSCs and set up a decision-making tool to support producers in self-assessing their sustainability level and choosing the most appropriate business model (BM) from those identified within the project. The proposed framework was based on a literature review and validated using co-creation exercises (Delphi rounds and focus groups) with relevant European stakeholders. A final set of 47 indicators was identified, and their potential for use in assessing the sustainability level of various BMs was also validated. Early results highlighted three main issues: indicator calculation feasibility, business model categorization, and the simplicity of the framework for sustainability self-assessment. Some recommendations are made, including the importance of using a participatory process in building an evaluation framework on SFSC sustainability and the necessity of its adaptation to territorial contexts and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are different meanings of Social Farming (SF) both in the scientific, operational and administrative world, often linked to the different contexts in which the experiences have matured. The aim of the work, carried out with the Delphi method, is to reach a definition of SF as shared as possible, through an organized discussion between selected experts, allowing the use of common languages in explaining the activities related to the SF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of the COVID-19 virus in Italy during the first phasis of the pandemic (February-May 2020) has caused a large-scale crisis, with an almost immediate decrease of industrial production and a consequent contraction in domestic consumption and external trade. However, the issue of food security was immediately recognized as one of the most sensitive, so that the Government has decreed the priority role of the food system, which has been included among those considered fundamental services and economically essential, allowing the related activities to be carried out during the lockdown. Agricultural production activities transformation, and commercialization remained fully operative during the lockdown; nevertheless, the sector has faced many difficulties related to the contraction of some of the marketing channels (restaurants, on farm sales, agritourism, problems with the logistics and many other ones). To better understand the effects of the initial phasis of the pandemic on the Italian agricultural sector and provide useful information to the government and decision makers, a survey was carried out with a CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) sent to over 10,000 farmers belonging to the sample of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The number of respondents has been of 733 farms, which represents around 7% of the Italian FADN sample. The results of the questionnaire have been matched with FADN data on the structure and the economic performance of farms, allowing a more precise evaluation of the condition and effects of the pandemic. The results highlight a relevant effect of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency on the agricultural sector: 37% of the interviewed farmers declared a significant liquidity crisis, while 60% predicted a contraction in turnover. These effects are more relevant for the wine, olives, and horticulture types of farming and more frequent in medium/large farms. A better situation has been found for farms which usually outsource processing and/or marketing/sale of the products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this programming period, the most important initiative of the European agriculture innovation policy is the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP AGRI) that is based on an interactive approach to innovation. The paper defines the theoretical framework of this approach and attempts to understand how the governance has facilitated or hindered this intervention. A comparative analysis of the Rural Development Programmes of four Italian Regions (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Basilicata) was conducted, with particular attention to the rules and implementation criteria of the specific actions that financed the EIP AGRI projects (Sub-measures 16.1 and 16.2). The analysis shows the effects of regional governance on crucial factors of the EIP AGRI theoretical approach: co-creation of innovation between research and practice, centrality of farms and territories' needs, promotion of relations and networks, interactive action between the actors in the innovation chain. The Regions have paid different attention to the characteristics of this approach to the innovation; some factors are pursued by all Regions, while others have not yet been transposed and implemented. Some of these are clear and have been implemented through adequate rules and criteria, while for others, the appropriate implementation methods have not been identified and so the EIP AGRI projects are not consistent with the approach. The main notable conclusion is that all the Regions examined are substantially consistent with the dimensions of interactive approach that emerge from the international literature. Nevertheless, different methods and degrees of consistency have been highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study the sustainability of Social farming (SF), with attention to practices addressed people suffering from addictions. In this study the Social Return on Investment (SROI) has been used as assessment methodology; has been used, which is increasingly used to approach the quantification of social, environmental and economic benefits on different types of investment. The SF activity of the Agricoltura Capodarco Cooperative was studied in order to evaluate the outcome in monetary terms taking into account all the beneficiaries involved. The application of SROI allowed to estimate a return of investment, coming mainly from the social component, ranging from 1,89 to 4,10 times, according to the degree of conservativeness of the estimates. The study extends both the analysis of SF to people categories only marginally addressed before and the application fields of SROI as assessment methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Italy, the regulatory framework on Social Farming has a high level of articulation at national and regional level and requires adequate analysis in order to understand the possible implications for the agriculture. The purpose of the article is to contribute to the understanding the possible interactions between farmers, local communities, public and private actors and recipients. The contribute, after a general analysis of the national and regional legislation, focuses on the figure of the SF operator and on the modalities of registration with the regional register. The question arises is whether and to what extent the regulatory framework on SF changes the role of agriculture itself with the system into which it operates, mainly about social aspects and relations with other local actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing understanding of potential role of agricultural and rural resources to enhance the social, physical, mental and economic well-being draw the attention of an increasing range of stakeholders on Social Farming. The contribute discloses the main results of a study focusing Social farming in Italy: actors, activity, networks of relationships within which the initiatives are implemented, agreements among heterogeneous actors, etc. The main aim is to provide a whole analysis of the possible processes of social and working inclusion in agriculture activities, including purposes and methods, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses in the framework of the current welfare and rural development systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to present the main results of a survey on Social Farming (SF) carried out by CREAPB at national level. The survey reached, through the CAWI method, almost 400 operators, located in rural and urban and peri-urban areas, pointing out activities and services provided in the different Country areas, networks of relationships allowing and facilitating SF initiatives, agreements formalized with public entities in a perspective of subsidiarity and of reshaping of territorial welfare. Furthermore, the instruments foreseen by Italian Rural Development Programs 2014-2020 for the support to social farming, seen as element of diversification of agricultural activity and service offer, are analyzed and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:The aim of the paper is to analyse the use of Communities of Practice and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance knowledge sharing between researchers and advisors. The associated research question is to what extent ICT supported a virtual Community of Practice and has been effective in counteracting fragmentation between research and advisory systems in terms of knowledge sharing between these two pillars of the Italian Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS). Design/Methodology/approach:The paper uses a mixed methods approach: a questionnaire submitted to the Community of Practice participants on their experiences, observation of interaction between Community of Practice participants and data on the use of the ICT platform. Findings:The ICT supported Community of Practice approach appears to improve knowledge sharing between researchers and advisors, and also draws in other actors of the broader Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System in which the AKS is embedded. However, ICT based tools alone are not sufficient and need to be complemented with face-to-face (non-virtual) interactions. A clear theoretical implication of this study is that this is an iterative process in which virtual and non-virtual interaction mutually reinforce each other: ICT interaction spurs real life and face-to-face interaction, and ICT supports follow-up on real life face-to-face interaction. Practical Implications:Communities of Practice can be a useful tool for knowledge sharing between research and advisory systems, but should have a degree of flexibility in terms of the topics they address and should accommodate new members when appropriate. ICT is supportive, but should be complemented by real life meetings. Originality/Value:The paper connects recent frameworks of the use of Communities of Practice with literature on ICT in agriculture and adds insights on the contribution of combining virtual and non-virtual interaction in Communities of Practice aimed at knowledge sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The agricultural sector, even though it has been greatly reduced and is in constant transformation, continues to be of strategic importance. Although it does not represent a quantitatively relevant employment sector, the dynamics are interesting because they reflect the structural, economic, and social transformations that are affecting the sector in recent years; there is a growing need for external labor that corresponds to a massive recourse of foreigners to work. Innovative approaches are required to explore the capacity of social farming to create a sustainable and inclusive workplace for migrants. The overall methodological approach of the paper seeks to synthesize fieldwork research and qualitative interviewing to validate the Italian inclusive model. To do this, we have selected four experiences of Italian social agriculture in which migrants are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]