Adanella Rossi

Synergy and Coherence through Collective Action: Some Insights from Wine Routes in Tuscany

A wine route can be seen as a network established around the theme of wine. The impressive economic impact that the establishment of the Costa degli Etruschi wine route has had on the farms involved is traced back in this article to the collective action that produces synergies and coherence. Synergies can be defined as linkages between two or more entities, whose joint effort produces quantitatively and qualitatively higher effects than those produced by the efforts of the same entities alone. Coherence is a quality belonging to the elements that constitute the context of action in successful rural development practices: natural and man-made environment, social networks, and symbolic systems. The process of creating coherence is not without conflict, and the article contends that the establishment of coherence needs a hegemonic strategy that involves all sources of empowerment and particularly cultural codes.

Agri-Food systems and territorial development: innovations, new dynamics and changing governance mechanisms

The chapter explores the linkages between farming systems and agri-food chains in a territorial development context. Lock-in effects within the current agri-food system are analysed through a socio-historical analysis. Then the experiences of emergent, still relatively small-scale, alternative food networks are assessed in terms of their transformative potential to enable sustainable food systems at a larger scale. Finally, the analysis focuses on the transition processes of agri-food systems at the territorial scale and considers the changes needed in governance modes. The chapter underlines the interdependencies and possible complementarities between the various actors of agri-food systems from production to consumption, including intermediaries as well as public policies and civil society. It emphasizes the transition and governance aspects involved.

Food networks: collective action and local development. The role of organic farming as boundary object

This article aims at analyzing the innovation potential of a local food network, which sees different actors that cooperate to build a local organic food production-provision system and progressively develop a broader mobilization on food issues, health and sustainability. The case analyzed is that of Crisoperla, an association located in Italy, between Tuscany and Liguria, which involves organic farmers, social farming and fishermen cooperatives, consumers’ groups and association and agronomists. The analysis is based on the empirical data collected in the 3-year European project SOLINSA (FP7, 2011–2014). The focus is on the role of organic farming and organic food as a boundary object, a binder element around which actors involved work in order to develop common visions, languages and goals and organize their activities. These processes are, in fact, at the basis of the organizational consolidation of the association as well as of the growth of its political awareness and its willingness and capacity to interact with the outside both at local and higher levels.

Consumatori consapevoli e sviluppo sostenibile: riflessioni sul cibo

Aware consumers and sustainable development: reflections on food - This paper offers a contribution to the analysis of the processes of transition of the food systems, that are sustained by the innovations introduced by reflexive consumers. After reviewing the literature on consumption as driver of change, the authors propose to explain consumption models and consumers’ identities in the Summaries framework of innovation theories. The analysis is applied on consumers solidarity purchasing groups. Their innovative role is expressed by the capacity of coproduce, together with other actors, new structures, material and immaterial, for everyday life. This implies as well a re-definition of boundaries between consumption and production, commodities and services, private and public, domestic and civic. Key words: innovation networks; transition theory; critical consumption; sustainable development; solidarity purchasing groups; citizens-consumers.

Practices of Sustainable Intensification Farming Models

Abstract This study explores three cases of food farms in Tuscany that practice sustainable intensification and have developed a whole chain for their products. Looking at both the production and the commercialization, it seeks to reply the following research questions: How are practices configured in food chains adopting sustainable intensification methods? To what extent can these practices be replicated, scaled up, and translated into the broader context where the food chains operate? To what extent are these practices able to balance environment preservation, productivity, and market and income satisfaction?

A Comprehensive and Participatory Approach to the Valorisation of Biodiverse Products

Preserving agro-biodiversity can contribute to the broader goal of protecting and enhancing biodiversity. Acknowledging and managing the complexity of values connected to agro-biodiversity, translating them in coherent practices, is the key to its conservation and valorisation. These processes may take place at different stages of agro-biodiversity management and interact with other factors, dynamics and processes that intervene in it.