Riccardo Da Re

Enhancing outdoor recreation and biodiversity through payments for ecosystem services: emerging potentials from selected Natura 2000 sites in Italy

Efforts in preserving natural and seminatural ecosystems and associated ecosystem services are affected by scarce financial resources. Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are increasingly recognised for creating additional funding, as in protected areas, and outdoor recreation is one important ecosystem service that is promising for successfully implementing PES. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate potentials for PES schemes related to recreational services in Natura 2000 sites. For 10 sites in different Italian regions, the study first assessed the ecosystem service outdoor recreation and analysed managerial and economic aspects of Natura 2000 sites. Then, various options for PES schemes were defined in a participatory process. Furthermore, we developed a dynamic model for evaluating the effects of PES on ecosystems and related recreational ES. Whereas the provision of recreational opportunities was mostly at a high level, the potential demand varied greatly among the sites, depending on the spatial distribution of potential beneficiaries. Moreover, we found great differences in visitation rates and consequently the actual recreational value. The PES schemes included small payments (€1) via mobile phone by visitors, contributions from regional government and tourism businesses, and visitor fees or tourist taxes among others. This study highlights how economic agreements, such as PES schemes, may support funding of Natura 2000 sites for biodiversity conservation by valorising the benefits of recreational ecosystem services; however, further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of PES in the long term.

Indicators Proposed for the Evaluation of Social Capital in Local Action Groups

This chapter provides a detailed description of the different indicators developed as part of the method for quantifying and qualifying the endowment of social capital in Local Actions Groups of the EU LEADER initiative. These indicators refer to dimensions of: (1) structural social capital (context, network actors, horizontal structure of the network, transparency and accountability, reputational power); (2) normative and cognitive social capital (trust and reciprocity among actors, trust in institutions, quality of the network, quality of participation, shared values, conflict); and (3) related aspects of governance (decision-making processes, efficiency and effectiveness, organisational culture and capacity, vertical structure).

Social Capital and the LEADER Approach: A Statistical Method for the Evaluation of Local Action Groups

This chapter describes the methodology and statistical foundations adopted for quantifying and qualifying the endowment of social capital in Local Actions Groups of the EU LEADER initiative. Specifically, the chapter presents the proposed evaluation method, including the criteria and techniques used to create, normalise and aggregate indicators into indexes of structural and cognitive-normative social capital and rural governance. Consequently, it specifies the data collection system, the selection of case study areas and the sampling design adopted in the survey carried out across the selected case study areas.

Practicing Social Capital in Local Development: How the Method Applies to Real-World Cases

The proposed method for the evaluation of the endowment of social capital in LEADER has been developed following different sequential steps. In this chapter, we show that this stepwise process can be applied to European Local Action Groups (LAGs), it can be used for comparing values across indicators for both monitoring and evaluation, and the results obtained can unveil the intervention logic of “social capital” at different steps of aggregation. As promised in the introductory chapters of the book, we show the steps taken for opening the “black box” and identify how this method fits within the 2014–2020 programming period and specifically contributes highlighting the value added of LEADER.

Evaluation of Structural and Normative-Cognitive Social Capital and Related Governance Aspects at Different Levels of Aggregation Across Regions and LAGs

The chapter presents the quantitative results of the research conducted in Italy on the endowment of social capital in specific European organisations, the so-called Local Actions Groups (LAGs) of the EU LEADER initiative. By drawing on indicators proposed in the research, the chapter shows how social capital can be measured at different levels of aggregation and how it can be used to provide a tool for initially identifying strengths and weaknesses of individual LAGs and then for comparing LAGs within and among regions. The chapter concludes with recommendations for adopting qualitative and regional analyses to explain the results of the quantitative assessment.

LEADER and Social Capital in Veneto: The Case Studies of Prealpi e Dolomiti and Bassa Padovana Local Action Groups

Social capital and rural governance are central elements in the evaluation of development projects based on the neo-endogenous approach to local development. The aim of this chapter is to measure both quantitatively and qualitatively the endowment of social capital in the Prealpi Dolomiti and Bassa Padovana LAGs in Veneto. The analysis shows that a consolidated partnership history, focused on the capacity of the LAG in bridging between stakeholders and the local governance system, and combined with the effective and efficient delivery of high-quality projects, concurred to increase the levels of social capital in the two LAGs.

Social capital and rural innovation process: the evaluation of the measure 124 “Cooperation for Development of New Products, Processes and Technologies in the Agriculture, Food and Forestry Sector” in the Umbria Region (Italy)

The most recent theories on innovation point out the role of social networks, demonstrating how knowledge is intertwined with network communities and social capital represents an essential factor to comprehend innovation. The social network dimension of the innovation process is also acknowledged in the actual definition of an agricultural innovation system (AIS). This study attempts to assess the role played by social capital in agricultural innovation projects co-financed by the Measure 124 of the Rural Development Program (2007-2013) of the Umbria Region (Italy), based on the analysis of 5 evaluation criteria (relevance, innovation, effectiveness, sustainability, and social capital) in relation to 8 selected projects. The obtained results confirm the validity of the proposed methodology both for the purpose of internal monitoring of the project and for the assessment of the measure on the basis of tangible and intangible factors, such as social capital.

Capitale sociale e approccio LEADER: dalla teoria all’applicazione

Intangible resources like social capital (SC), if supported by proper governance mechanisms, can positively influence rural development processes. Within the EU LEADER Approach, through the stakeholders’ cooperation and the creation of networks, Local Action Groups (LAGs) should generate SC. This paper, on the basis of empirical evidences collected through questionnaires to 9 LAGs (case-studies) in 4 Italian regions, provides a set of 96 innovative indicators for understanding how the structural and cognitive SC contribute to increasing LEADER performance. Results consist of analytical descriptions of indicators’ values for different LAGs and comparisons among indicators, which allow stressing causes of excellence in each explored dimension of SC.