Search

Most EU policy documents highlight the need to ensure and contribute to the achievement of the multifaceted goal of social sustainability. In this framework, the paper investigates tokenism, a common phenomenon of crucial importance for rural development, although not widely studied. The paper focuses on a scoping literature review to analyse the forms of tokenism affecting the territorial development practices and which factors can prevent this phenomenon. More specifically, recent scientific papers dealing with tokenism, social capital, rural areas, and decision processes were analysed to shed light on the various underhand practices in which tokenism occurs and possible limiting factors. The results show the role played by adopting participatory approaches and by some variables (e. g., trust, influence, involvement, civic engagement, information) in reducing the phenomenon of tokenism. It is important to highlight how improving the local amount of social capital represents a key factor positively affecting the success of territorial development strategies. The originality and the value of the present study lie in the fact that notwithstanding tokenism is analysed by several authors, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies focusing on the relationship between tokenism and territorial development.

This study examines the dynamics of land use and land cover change (LULCC) in the Gargano area (Southern Italy) to reveal crucial insights into the socio-economic and environmental impacts on its unique natural and cultural resources. This analysis was conducted using a mixed approach of GIS data and expert interviews to investigate significant changes in the Gargano area, from 2000 to 2018, and their drivers. Artificial surfaces gained 22% of their original surfaces, while heterogeneous areas and pastures lost 25% and 78%, respectively. Urbanization and deforestation emerged as major concerns, reflecting heightened sensitivity to these transformative processes. Agricultural intensification and support policies were perceived as potential pressure sources on specific natural components. Conversely, these drivers counteracted land abandonment. Drivers such as education level and agricultural extensification were seen as levers for a more desirable land cover dynamic. Identified actions include providing targeted support for agriculture within environmental constraints, addressing land ownership fragmentation, supporting agricultural extensification, and promoting environmental awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The funds allocated through the EU Rural Development Programme provided the engine for local stakeholders to interact, forming mixed collaboration partnerships. This paper investigates the structure of such partnerships with the aim of verifying whether (R1) there are significant differences between the various stakeholder categories in influencing the rural development process, and (R2) which categories of stakeholders are more empowered in directing the design of sustainable rural development. The study is focused on two Italian cases: the regions of Apulia and Veneto. Using a combination of SNA and nonparametric tests, the results demonstrate that the empowerment of the stakeholders followed unequal paths in the two cases; i.e., a central role is clearly played by economic associations in Apulia, while this power is more distributed between different kinds of stakeholders in the case of Veneto. Agricultural associations in Apulia play an important role in the densely connected rural development network, promoting information flow and collective action. On the other hand, the weakness of this configuration lies in the fact that the rural development agenda can receive strong pressure from the agricultural sector, pushing more sectoral strategies in turn. Private companies play a key role in Veneto's rural development, bridging the network gaps between more clustered local groups and increasing pluralism and inclusion. However, the network is sparse and shrinking, posing challenges in terms of coordination and collective action. This kind of evaluation makes policymakers and managers aware of both the most influential and weakest actors. This is crucial to improving the effectiveness and sustainability of the project, as they can involve the most influential groups from the early stages of the design process to ensure support as well as address the needs of the lagging stakeholder categories to reinforce tacit rules, trust, accountability, and responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the introduction of a suitable method for the measurement of social capital in the context of rural development policies. We present an empirical application of the method to four case studies from the south of Italy. In order to overcome some limits affecting previous empirical research, we have grounded the measurement framework upon a clear decomposition of the concept of social capital characterizing three main dimensions: structural, relational and cognitive. This has allowed us to build five direct indicators for the core components of social capital created within the EU local agencies for rural development (the Local Action Groups). Moreover we have set a synthetic measure capturing the specific configuration of the internal social capital of the groups as a whole. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)

Technology diversity is defined as the ability to perform research and development in different technological domains. We investigate the degree of technological diversity in the European regions, focusing on two main drivers: the regional capacity to obtain funding from the 7th Framework Programme, and the degree of regional network centrality in collaborative research. Our results support the hypothesis that regional capacity to access European funding and obtain a central position in collaborative networks fosters technological diversity in European regions. We also find that the high network centrality in a research collaboration network is correlated to a reduced FP7 effect on technological diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diffusion of innovations is largely influenced by the characteristics of the network of initial adopters (or innovation spreader). We investigate how these characteristics tend to influence the adoption rate and the speed of the diffusion process of a technological innovation in agriculture. The diffusion process is simulated through an Agent Based Model that replicates real-world data. We found that the closeness and the clusterization of the networks are the variables that tend to affect the most the capability of spreading innovations among members. Our findings have direct policy implications: since innovations help advancing the economic development of the agricultural sector, promoting the emergence of networks that have desirable characteristics would enhance growth. Our analysis provides specific insights on how to plan networks with desirable characteristics for the innovation spreaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The socio-economic consequences of the Xylella fastidiosa epidemic represent a global problem that can only be addressed through tailored, local solutions. The selection of public interventions is not a trivial task for policy makers, as they must weigh many different interests (e.g., private profit, ecosystem services, usability, preservation and growth of real estate value, amenities, and land protection). The present paper addresses this challenge by building participatory scenarios based on "fuzzy cognitive maps," with the aim of identifying effective, acceptable, and efficient policy mixes to address the Xylella epidemic. The work investigates the case of southern Salento (Italy)–an olive production area at the epicentre of the global Xylella outbreak–to identify the most suitable actions for regenerating the landscape. To this end, the most efficient policy mixes are determined according to three possible policy perspectives, which provide different weights for effectiveness and acceptability. The results show that the proposed methodological approach may assist policy makers in coping with multifaceted policy challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at increasing our understanding of the role of space dimensions in niche evolution dynamics. To accomplish this goal, an agent-based model is developed, locating agents in geographical space. The model is then used to show how local niches built on geographical proximity perform differently from global niches built on relative proximity, in terms of the timing of niche creation, the velocity of niche maturation, average profit, environmental uncertainty and knowledge exchange. It concludes that the spatial dimension of niches should be considered in the development of policies to promote sustainable transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last years ongoing research has moved towards the valorisation of organic waste by the identification of possible products with a good market perspective. In this paper we consider the possibility of using the organic fraction of municipal waste to produce biodegradable mulching films for agricultural purposes. The aim of this research was to estimate the potential demand of horticultural farms located in the province of Foggia (Italy) for biodegradable films derived from organic waste. We carried out a survey of 107 producers in the area. Findings showed that the adoption of the innovative films does not depend on the nature of the raw material used and that the willingness to pay for such films is higher with respect to the price of similar products already available in the market. In addition, farmers' preferences towards mulching films' attributes (strength, durability, mechanical harvesting, transparency, etc.) are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture can be a possible provider of social services of relevant importance for the whole society. In order to generate a valuable social service, a multi-actor approach is often applied, based on an active collaboration among public institutions, non-profit organizations, and private firms, and capable of generating multiple positive impacts. This new approach may both favorite agricultural diversification and enhance the quality of life of rural communities. However, in order to enable policymakers in motivating the public support to these types of initiatives, an evaluation method capable of disentangling the multiple benefits generated by social agricultural projects is required. In this paper, we adapted the evaluation method previously developed by the SIMRA consortium for Social Innovation initiatives, to a project aimed at the employability of NEETs in the south of Italy. A selection grid, framed by cross-referencing the national policy objectives of social agriculture and the criteria of eligibility adopted in public calls is proposed, to choose the suitable indicators for the evaluation. The evaluation experience allowed the measurement of 34 indicators of performance. The results prove that 12 indicators are positive, while 12 are moderate, and 10 are low and are mainly related to the enhancement of social inclusion. The evaluation exercise may be useful to disentangling the multiple outcomes generated by initiatives based on social innovation, which are highly based on intangible assets, and exert a positive effect on the internal cohesion and the engagement of the civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union promotes social innovation (SI) initiatives for the support of marginalised rural areas through rural and sustainable development policies. These are based on the engagement of local actors and the strengthening of their mutual relationships to boost the fostering of professional collaborations. In this context, the Horizon 2020 Social Innovation in Marginalised Areas (SIMRA) project elaborated a conceptual framework for characterising the engagement in an SI initiative. Accordingly, this paper aims to demonstrate that engagement relies on specific key drivers, such as the existence of unmet social needs and the role of agency. To this end, a two-step Heckman model was applied to an SI initiative case study called Vàzapp', a rural hub (agency) located in Southern Italy. It promotes relationships among farmers to valorise the marginalised rural areas. The results appear consistent with the theoretical framework, demonstrating that the farmers' engagement was motivated by the existence of the aforementioned determinants. The implications are relevant for policymakers, consultants, and social innovators who may incorporate these elements in designing specific SI projects in different contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social innovation (SI) impacts are long-term changes that affect different dimensions of territorial capital (i.e., economy, society, environment, governance) for the territory in which SI occurs. Yet, systematic empirical evidence and theoretically sound assessments of the impacts of SI are scarce. This paper aims to fill the gap and assess the different aspects of SI's impacts in European and Mediterranean areas that are characterized by marginalization processes. To assess the impacts of SI in marginalized areas, we use the evaluation framework developed within the Social Innovation in Marginalized Rural Areas (SIMRA) Horizon 2020 project and apply it to nine SI initiatives related to the fields of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and rural development. Our findings show that SI produces cross-sectoral (societal, economic, environmental, and governmental) and multi-level impacts (on individuals, community, and society), which have improved the societal well-being, and contributed to the reduction of certain forms of marginality, mainly inside the territory in which SI occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing interest in social innovation (SI) in agriculture, the literature lacks validated tools for evaluating such initiatives. This paper provides an empirical application of the evaluation approach developed within the H2020 SIMRA project to a pilot experience conducted in a rural area of Southern Italy. The value added by this case study is the application of the five types of criteria used by the OECD for the evaluation of development programs, which are commonly referred to as REEIS: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. This experiment demonstrates the adequacy of the evaluation framework in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the initiative, according to a multifaceted perspective. The overall evaluation proves that most indicators fall under the high (48%) and medium categories (36%), and only few indicators are low (16%). The usefulness of the evaluation results is manifold. First, this evaluation highlights relevant arguments to support the communication strategy addressed at civil society, therefore reinforcing the civic engagement of the initiative, which is the distinctive feature of SI. Second, it supports project managers in addressing interventions to face emerging weaknesses. Finally, the evaluation provides factual evidence to policy makers to perform cost-effective analysis of rural development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on Agro-food waste valorization conceived as a long-term, complex socio-technical process involving several different actors belonging to multiple levels. Although this process is typically affected by a series of uncertainties, the convergence of stakeholders' expectations proves to be a means to overcoming barriers, as it acts as the foundation of a shared agenda setting which formalizes the coordination efforts among the actors involved in an innovation process. Applying the strategic niche management (SNM) framework to the case of the Apulia Agro-Food Technology District (DARe), whose mission is to promote a bio-based industry for food-waste valorization, the paper proposes an operational tool capable of designing the strategy based on the entrepreneurs' knowledge. The DARe aims to promote the technological innovation of agro-food firms located in the South of Italy. The results of a SWOT-SOR analysis led to the establishment of a twofold strategy aimed at (a) promoting the innovation of more active and dynamic firms, and (b) reducing the gap between "pioneer" and "laggard" firms, with the result of promoting integrated innovation throughout the entire district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The amount of food wastage produced at the global level generates high environmental, economic and social costs, such as greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, waste generation, consumption of natural resources, as well as economic losses, inequality and poverty. Taking stock of these problems, this paper conducts an empirical investigation in order to identify and recommend the most effective policy actions and private initiatives that might modify the current unsustainable food consumption model, characterizing high income countries, in order to achieve a significant reduction in the amount of food wastage. Specifically, it performs a fuzzy inference simulation by means of a three-step methodology: analyzing the use of language within the food waste reduction/valorization debate to identify system variables; deducing the map of causal-effect relationships among the identified system variables through interviews to a pool of experts; and finally, performing a fuzzy inference simulation, to identify drivers potentially able to discourage current unsustainable consumer behaviors. Among other things, the fuzzy analysis shows how some policy drivers, as "Public food waste rules", "Investments and infrastructure" and "Small-scale farming" are particularly effective in supporting a new and sustainable food consumption model. At the same time, the experts' knowledge allows highlighting the crucial role of "biorefinery" in fostering a transition towards a sustainable consumption model. This is an interesting result, as it points at the ability of biorefineries to enhance a general positive attitude of consumers which, in turn, would translate into more sustainable consumption practices. Highlights • Effective policy drivers and private initiatives to reduce the amount of food waste are identified. • Food waste system variables are elicited by means of discourse analysis. • Fuzzy inference is employed to investigate the causal-effect map derived from experts' knowledge. • Side-effects should be considered in designing policy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]