Caterina Contini

Land use functions — a multifunctionality approach to assess the impact of land use changes on land use sustainability

The dramatic changes in land use observed in Europe in the last fifty years have generally resulted in improvement of human welfare and economic development. On the other hand, they have caused serious environmental problems. There is therefore a need for approaches that help to understand in an integrative way the economic, environmental and societal impacts that land use changes have on sustainability. Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA), which assesses the impact of policies on sustainability, addresses this challenge. SIA partly builds on the concept of the multifunctionality of land which helps to deal with the complexity of interactions between different land uses, their temporal and spatial changes, and finally how policies might steer those changes towards sustainability. Following this need for true integration of economic, environmental and societal issues across policy areas at a meaningful spatial scale, an interdisciplinary team in the SENSOR project has developed an innovative conceptual framework to assess the impact of policies on land sustainability at various levels of spatial aggregation i.e. the Land Use Functions (LUFs) framework. LUFs are the goods and services provided by the different land uses that summarise the most relevant economic, environmental and societal issues of a region. The LUFs framework integrates the changes observed in a large set of impact indicators into nine Land Use Functions (LUFs), which are balanced among the three pillars of sustainability. The LUFs framework makes it possible for policy makers, scientists and stakeholders to identify at a glance those functions of the land which are hindered or enhanced under various scenarios of land use change, and makes it possible to explore the trade-offs between them. The LUFs framework allows therefore the building of assessment across disciplines, sectors and the three sustainability dimensions. It has proved to be very helpful for the systematisation of relevant sustainability indicators within SENSOR and is intended to be further used in other projects as a tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment. The rationale leading to the LUFs concept, its definition and the conceptual framework is described in this chapter. We conclude that the concept of LUFs allows users to make explicit the analytical links between multifunctional land use and sustainable development, and therefore to look at multifunctionality as a way towards sustainability.

Participatory appraisal for potential community-based mangrove management in East Africa

Mangroves are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world and the coastal forests of East Africa are no exception to this trend. Although conservation, rehabilitation and sustainable management plans have been developed in various tropical regions, only a few locally based approaches have been launched along the Indian Ocean coast of Africa. In order to identify possible conditions for sustainable management of mangroves based on socio-economic and ecological considerations, we present a participatory approach designed to evaluate the relationships between mangroves and human activities and the use of multi-criterion analysis to identify management solutions. To achieve this goal, all the subjects involved in mangrove management (local communities, institutions and researchers) took an active part in the process. The research was carried out in three communities relying on mangrove swamps: Kisakasaka village on the island of Zanzibar, Mida Creek in Kenya, both relying on mangrove forests known to be endangered by over-exploitation, and Inhaca Island in Mozambique, where mangroves are more pristine. Families were the hub of the research and the importance of each of their economic activities was assessed. We then examined the methods by which mangroves are exploited by the local community and by other stakeholders working in the study areas. Our results show that the mangroves in Inhaca are exploited only for household needs and the pressure on the forests is still ecologically sustainable. In contrast, there is a well-established demand for mangrove products in Kisakasaka and Mida Creek and the mangroves represent an essential source of income for the families, resulting in an ecologically unsustainable rate of exploitation. Therefore, possible alternatives to the current management practices were identified in the two areas by means of a participatory approach. Multi-criterion analysis was then used to compare and discuss the alternatives in terms of social, economic and ecological criteria.

Agri-tourism and rural development: the Low-Valdelsa case, Italy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the demand of tourists who stay in agri‐tourist facilities and assess the impact of agri‐tourism on local development in terms of income and employment. The study was conducted in Tuscany, a region which is pre‐eminent in terms of the Italian agri‐tourist supply and which has a strong attraction for tourists seeking natural resources, the countryside and the local culture.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology called for the use of the input output model based on a regional accounting matrix which was appropriately modified, according to data obtained from a direct investigation. Tourist spending was ascertained by means of a questionnaire submitted to tourists who stayed in agri‐tourist facilities. Main weaknesses of the tourist system were highlighted by means of personal interviews which were conducted with key informants.Findings – The results emphasize a lack of coordination between the suppliers of products and services provided in the territo...

Trends in food consumptions: what is happening to generation X?

Purpose – Food habits are undergoing profound changes owing to the social, economic and technological transformations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the evolution of the food patterns of generation X in the past decade, in view of formulating a reflection on the trends of a fundamental component of society. Design/methodology/approach – Applying latent class clustering to the food spending of a representative sample of Italian consumers has made it possible to identify the principal food patterns and to interpret them in light of demographic characteristics and sociocultural changes. Findings – The results show a strengthening of dietary lifestyles displaying a high content of animal proteins, especially in consumers with low levels of education. The importance of convenience foods emerges, mainly among couples but also among families with children. The role of out of the home consumptions grows, mostly among single males. Parallel to this critical picture, the authors note the birth of a new di...

Limits and targets for a regional sustainability assessment: an interdisciplinary exploration of the threshold concept

Some encompassing terminology is required in order to accommodate different conceptual approaches in the three pillars of sustainability. So, this chapter provides a literature review exploring the threshold concept. In environmental research — especially in ecology — thresholds are often associated with limits which have certain system-inherent processes. In social and economic disciplines, if the notion of limit or critical limit is present, the concept of targets is often more appropriate which are linked to political objectives and social acceptability. The concept of threshold is accommodated within the general framework of limits and targets. What is important is the understanding developed here that almost any environmental, social or economic system has the potential to reach a point or an area that is unsustainable, or outside acceptable limits, relevant at a regional level.

Nutraceutical olive oil: does it make the difference?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to verify the market potentials of health claims by means of a study that tests the effectiveness of extra-virgin olive oil promotion based on the nutraceutical indications recently authorised by European regulations. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology utilises a discrete choice experiment on a sample of Italian consumers. Market segmentation is performed by means of applying a latent-class model. Findings – The health claim proves particularly interesting for two consumer segments: the “functional claim seekers” (24 per cent) and the “reduction of disease risk claim seekers” (13 per cent). The former segment consists of young, single males who prefer more moderately priced olive oils. The latter is instead made up of elderly individuals who prefer an explicit message on disease and are oriented towards the higher price ranges. Practical implications – The potentials in implementing a promotional strategy based on the awareness of olive oil’s nutraceutical...

Territory, environment, and healthiness in traditional food choices: insights into consumer heterogeneity

Traditional foods are facing new market challenges tied to current trends in food habits and their determinants, such as the decline of domestic food preparation, the increased demand for convenience foods, the increasing importance of industrial food production, and the evolution of regulations on food safety. In this context our study aims at improving the knowledge of consumer segments in traditional foods market in order to develop better marketing strategies. The preferences for different credence attributes are investigated applying a latent class choice model to the extra-virgin olive oil market in Italy. Results show the existence of a marked heterogeneity of preferences, which determines the presence of both vertical and horizontal differentiation of the product.

The origins of the European IFSA: the first meetings and the agenda renewal

In the mid-1990s the farming systems movement had reached Europe. The European Group is related to the associations founded in the USA, Latin America, Africa and Asia some years before. These were partly designed to support research and development in the Global South. The European Group followed a novel approach in that it applied the systems concept to the highly diverse situations found in European farming. Hence, we recall the objectives of the first meeting held in Edinburgh in 1993, and then assess how research themes have shifted over the past 20 years, by reviewing the programs of the nine symposia held during this period. Looking back, it is clear that European Farming Systems Research has revealed many of the major preoccupations of European farming and the increasing importance of human and sociological factors, in addition to technical and economic issues. This development is most encouraging and indicates that a dynamic learning community exists among European farming systems researchers and extensionists.

Paths to developing multifunctional agriculture: insights for rural development policies

The paper proposes to contribute to the growing literature on the practise and significance of multifunctional agriculture, drawing on an empirical study of 50 farms located in Central Italy and Sicily. The paper intends, in particular, to identify and analyse the ways that multifunctionality can be translated into rural development models, and to distinguish the territorial and farm features that favour the development of agricultural practices whose strength lies in supplying non-market goods and services. The results enable us to draw guidelines for public intervention aimed at promoting the diffusion of development models that integrate traditional farming processes and ways to internalise externalities.

Why Do We Buy Traditional Foods

ABSTRACT Consumer behavior toward traditional specialties varies according to the cultural context of consumption. It thus becomes crucial to develop marketing strategies that target segments with different levels of familiarity with food. Our article purposes to analyze the purchase drivers of traditional foods known to consumers because of their reiterated consumption. The importance of the product’s attributes, the purchasing motivations, and the information channels are studied by applying the CUB model, which utilizes a probabilistic structure that simulates the individual’s psychological mechanism in adopting a choice of preference. The case study is that of extra-virgin olive oil in Italy, where this product is a fundamental element of the culinary tradition. The results show that in the ambit of traditional specialties, in contexts of elevated familiarity, the traditional information channels of marketing are less effective and call for strategies based on a more direct connection between consumer and producer.