153 - Rural Development: rural development in Liguria
is regulated by the Rural Development Program (RDP), whose analysis reports the planned and financed activities. With the update to 30/04/2018, the reports of the 2017-2020 RDP show in Liguria only 5% of total funds allocated as effectively spent, one of the worst regions in Italy from the point of view of spending capacity of the FEASR funds coming from the Europe, even if, in general, the whole national situation is however in great trouble as evidenced by the different, but always low, percentages of progress of payments related to the various actions.
Within the CeRSAA, many projects have been launched over the years to improve local rural development, including the “Valli Savonesi” Local Action Group (LAG), of which “Riviere di Liguria” Chamber of Commerce through its Special Center for Experimentation and Agricultural Assistance is the leader subject [www.vallisavonesigal.it]. The primary objective of this project is to enhance and raise the economy of the inland areas of the Liguria region.
- Agricultural Production: agricultural production in 2017 also fell compared to previous years (-0.9% compared to 2016), particularly penalized by the icy winter, summer drought and fall floods.
Which are the problems and the strengths
of the Liguria Coast (in reference to rural
development, agricultural production and
environment)?
Projects aimed at strengthening the agriculturalsector, realized and/or under construction by CeRSAA are:
• For floriculture: the project Interreg Maritime Italy - France Flore 3.0 which has exactly this purpose.
[www.cersaa.it/flore-3-0],
[interreg-maritime.eu/it/web/flore3.0/progetto]; • Chain of edible flowers: Interreg Alcotra “ANTEA” project [www.interregantea.eu] [www.cersaa.it/ antea];
• Citrus chain: Interreg Maritime project “Mare di Agrumi” [www.cersaa.it/mare-di-agrumi], [interreg-maritime.eu/it/web/mare-di-agrumi]; • Increase of the sustainability of agricultural production by reducing chemical products in agriculture: Interreg Maritime project IS@M [www.cersaa.it/isam],
[interreg-maritime.eu/it/web/is-m/progetto]; • Transfer and dissemination activities concerning the sustainable use of water: the “Fertinnowa” project financed by the Horizon 2020 [www.fertinnowa.com], [www.cersaa.it/ fertinnowa];
• Project Strategy of business in niche sectors for the agroindustrial economy of the Mediterranean “PYRGI” [www.cersaa.it/pyrgi].
There are already projects that try to
improve the development perspectives on
the Liguria Coast and/or in Italy and/or
along the Mediterranean Coast?
Interview
FEDERICO TINIVELLA
PhD in Planty Pathology, from 2011 Scientist and Project Manager at Regional Center for Agricultural Experimentation and Assistance (CERSAA). Strong research professional skilled in Sustainable Rural Development, Proposal and Technical Writing, and Communication in the agro-environmental sector.
13. Albenga
COASTAL ACTIVITY
URBAN AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
AGRO-FOOD PRODUCTION
NATURAL HERITAGE
156
157
Aerial view of Albenga - source: Ph. Luciano Rosso
Agricultural production on the coast - source: tripinview.com
The most important natural heritage of the Munici-pality of Albenga is the Regional Nature Reserve of the Island of Gallinara. The Gallinara island is a small island located near the Ligurian coast, in the Riviera di Ponente, about 1.5 km from the coast. The island takes its name from the wild hens that populated it in the past, it was the refuge of San Martino towards the end of the 4th century and of a monastery founded by Colombian monks in the Lombard era. In the backdrops surrounding the island various wrecks and artifacts have been found, dating back in some cases to the 5th century BC and identified as coming from the Marseille area, due to the trades that took place in the past. The island is home to one of the largest nesting
colo-nies of herring gulls in the Ligurian Sea. Another area rich in biodiversity is the basin of the Arroscia and Neva streams that at the confluence form the Centa. In the terminal part of the two streams there are two ponds, one temporary at the confluence and the other perennial derived from a former gravel pit. In the first pond there is a small reproductive
popu-lation of Emys orbicularis (turtle) monitored for years. In addition to the Isola Gallinara Park (212 ha) and the Centa basin (189 ha), they are part of the Natura 2000 network: the seabed between Loano-Albenga (541 ha) and the natural area of Monte Acuto-Poggio Grande-Rio Torsero (2421 ha). The plain of Albenga is the largest plain of alluvial origin
in Liguria, formed over time by the sediments depos-ited by the Arroscia, Neva and Pennavaira streams which also feed the Centa river. Starting from 1924 all the marshy areas of the plain were reclaimed to favor its agricultural development. With a surface area of approximately 45 km2, the plain extends between the municipalities of Ceriale, Cisano sul Neva, Ortovero and Albenga. From 1750 the agricultural production of the plain increased steadily until it became the main economy of the city. The alluvial characteristics of this flat area allowed the cultivation of some excellent local products such as: “violet” asparagus, radicchio, “trombetta” courgette, “Cuore di Bue” tomatoes, Alben-ga’s “spiny” artichoke and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Many of these products have obtained the Denominations of Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC), Protected Designation of Origin (DOP), Typical Geographical Indi-cation (IGT) and Protected Geographical IndiIndi-cation (IGP). Even floriculture in the 1950s became the main export product. Within a few years the demand for flowers from Northern Europe became the main business for most of the small and medium-sized farms in the area. In the last decade due to the competition in flower exports many companies are returning to growing aromatic plants and vegetables for the national market.
The ancient nucleus of the city of Albenga, recognizable by the characteristic red roofs, occupies the extreme part of the plain formed by the river Centa, for a total area of about 19,300 square meters. First village of Ligurian origins, then Roman municipium, then medieval Municipality had moments of economic prosperity until the XIII century, when it underwent a strong
transforma-tion. The course of the river, which flowed to the north, is deviated to the south causing an enlargement of the plain, but burying the sea area in front of the city and the port (which until then had characterized its history). Albenga progressively loses contact with the sea, basing its economy almost exclusively on poor agriculture. Subjugated by Genoa, occupied by the French, assigned to the Savoy, the city knows long periods of decline and abandonment. In the mid-nineteenth century, enterprising citizens transformed the agricultural economy into a commercial import-export business, bringing wealth to the plain and to farmers. Albenga is reactivated and its urban core, which remained motionless for centuries, inside the ancient walls, is modified. In the twentieth century, the city expanded around the historic center. Albenga is called “city of a hundred towers”. In reality, today, the towers that dominate the roofs of the historic center are no longer a hundred, many were destroyed by natural disasters over the years, while some were preserved and restored. Built mostly in the 13th century alongside the homes of noble families, they indicated the power and prestige of the family. Placed in the middle of a polycentric pentagon, Albenga
enjoys a certainly favorable position. In a range of just a few hours it is possible to reach the major Italian and European cities. Furthermore, just a few kilometers away from the city there are places like Alassio, Le Cinque Terre, Genoa and Montecarlo that act as attractive poles, moving large tourist flows throughout the whole year. These places have the potential to attract over 2,200,000 Italian tourists annually, mostly from neigh-boring regions, and about 1,500,000 foreign tourists, mostly from the European Community, except for a small portion of international tourism (around 13 %). Another considerable tourist factor in the Riviera is the presence of two large ports (Savona and Genoa), which are the basis of numerous shipping routes for large cruises. This type of tourism moves thousands of people who annually moor in these cities for a few days or even just a few hours, increasing the economic return on all those accommodation and catering activities placed especially on the coast and in the neighboring surroundings. Always to this type of transitory tourism can be incorporated the tourist flows coming from the Genoese (C.Colombo) and French (Nizza-Côte d’Azur) airports. Therefore, thanks to the strategic position on the Ligurian Gulf and to the favorable urban context, Albenga could today be a small tourist-commercial metropolis, while, instead, with the passing of the years it has passively suffered a contin-uous decrease in tourist activity, partly maintaining that portion of “tourism of second homes” that in the decades of wild construction has largely developed.
14. Follonica
Grosseto - Italy
COASTAL ACTIVITY
URBAN AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
AGRO-FOOD PRODUCTION
NATURAL HERITAGE
162
163
Maremma’s hills agricultural production (CC) - source: Ph. Nirolfix
Aerial view of Follonica - source: Ph. tripinview.com
The municipal territory extends over an area of just over 55 km², extending from the coasts of the Tyrrhenian Sea, bathed by the waters of the Gulf of Follonica, up to the hilly inland where the first offshoots of the Grosseto Metalliferous Hills develop. The natural landscapes are the most variegated, along the low and sandy coasts there are various stretches of coastal dunes, the lowland areas are characterized by marshy areas and streams and medium-low hills are characterized by the presence of vines and olive trees, the hilly area is covered with cork trees at low altitudes very exposed to the sun on acid soils, while the mountain is characterized by coniferous forests. The municipality of Follonica is also included within the National Park of the Grosseto Metalliferous Hills, an area extending over more than 108,700 hectares with 81 reported sites (mining areas, metallurgical plants, medieval castles, transport facilities and geothermal plants). The other protected areas in the area are: 1. The Bandite di Follonica, a protected natural area, site of regional interest. 2. The Interprovincial Park of Montioni, a protected natural area under the jurisdic-tion of the provinces of Grosseto and Livorno, largely
occupies some northern areas of the municipality of Follonica. 3. The Poggio Tre Cancelli Nature Reserve, a protected area established in 1971 that covers an area of 99 hectares and partly includes the wooded area of the Bandits of Follonica. 4. The Tomboli di Follonica Nature Reserve, a protected natural area established in 1977, occupies an area of 94 hectares and includes the two folloniches pinewoods, that of Ponente and that of Levante. For centuries this was a land of iron extraction and
processing from the Livorno’s metalliferous hills given the long history linked to the opening of the Royal and Imperial Foundries wanted by the Grand Duke Leopold II of Lorraine, however cultivation and farming had an important role in the development of the city . The territory of the province of Grosseto, in fact, has been recognized as the first rural district of Europe, following the transposition of the community legislation (Legislative Decree 228/01), thanks to the vocation for agriculture, to the high quality of the products and to the protection and safeguard of the immense environmental and landscape heritage. Following the reclamation and with the Ente Maremma Reform (1951) the agricultural landscape was modified and a more intensive agriculture was born, breaking up the large landed estates into hundreds of farms, favoring the creation of small farms of farmers directed throughout the Maremma territory. . Today the wine-growing of this particular area produces wines of the highest quality, only in the province of Grosseto are a DOCG, seven DOC, two IGT and three Wine Routes recognized. Next to viticulture there is an important and renowned olive production, a product strongly linked also to the culinary culture and local gastronomic specialties. Also from the breeding activities derive excellent products, such as the Pecorino Toscano DOP produced in Follonica. Today the climatic conditions along the coastal strip and in the relative flat area are in great danger due to the frequent and prolonged dry episodes (in 2003, 125 continuous days of drought) that over time are causing a real condition of aridity. The area next to the coastal strip is to be considered among the Italian areas at risk of desertification.
As a town, Follonica is certainly young, in fact its date of birth coincides with the construction of the Royal and Imperial Foundries commissioned by Leopoldo II of Tuscany in 1834. But as a town and landing point, Fullona was mentioned for the first time in 1038 in an act of donating land. Throughout medieval and modern times, it will always remain a small coastal village devoid of walled
fortifi-cations, with the exception of the sighting tower.The history of Follonica is mainly linked, in ancient times, to that of the Castello di Valli, whose ruins still stand out north of the city. Beginning in 1800, the rise of Follonica began, keeping
pace with the economic and cultural importance of its foundries, in fact the Leopolda foundry at the time was the second most important foundry in Europe and did business with all the cities. February 22, 1960 marked the end of the city’s historic iron and steel vocation, when the plants were trans-ferred to the Piombino steelworks. After the disposal of the foundries, the industrial activity underwent a downsizing, being almost entirely replaced by the cultivation and processing of wood and cork, typical throughout the region. Follonica has a tourist tradition dating back to the 1960s.
The natural position, in the center of the gulf, in front of the island of Elba guarantees a relatively safe sea and with a slow slope. Being the natural outlet to the sea of Arezzo and Siena, in the summer the city quintuples its inhabitants welcoming indeed in addition to the tour-ists who populate the hotels and campsites, even the vacationers who have their second home in Follonica. Starting from 2000 and for each successive year Follonica has conquered the blue flag of Europe which certifies the high quality of the water and the coast, the efficiency of services and safety measures and the high level of envi-ronmental education. From 2004 onwards, Follonica has conquered the 4 Legambiente sails, which rank it among the top Italian tourist destinations. In 2008 he received the “Premio Targa Blu Italia”, an international recognition on road safety, which consists of the establishment of a control and/or certification system for urban mobility. The sport and tourism offer is also high, in fact the city hosts facilities and events for hockey on the track, football, the racecourse, rally competitions, the motorcycle and the Giro d’Italia (bike). Even food and wine tourism is a strong component for the city’s economy. From the coast towards the hinterland, in fact, 3 Wine Roads branch out: eno-tourism itineraries, located within wine-growing areas, through which the natural, cultural and environmental characteristics of the Italian territory are promoted, bringing directly the public in the vineyards, on the farms and in the cellars.
15. Mondragone
COASTAL ACTIVITY
URBAN AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
AGRO-FOOD PRODUCTION
NATURAL HERITAGE
To the north-west of Mondragone is the natural area of Monte Massico, a limestone mountain relief of 813 meters above sea level. Covered by a thick Mediterranean maquis and native woods, it hosts various species of wild animals (wild boar, badger, marten, hedgehog, common shrew, mole, dormouse, dormouse, vole, fox, weasel, beech marten, viper, etc.). To date, over 90 species of birds have been counted on Monte Massico. On the southern side of the mountain there is the WWF
Oasis extended over 48 hectares. Along the slopes there are paths for guided tours of varying difficulty, educational message boards and rest areas. At the base of Monte Massico is the Nature Reserve of Lake Falciano and includes the wet area of Lake Falciano. The lake, of volcanic origin, dates back to the reclamation started by the Bourbon government in 1839. The lake hosts a rich ecosystem and is
charac-terized by thick vegetation, around the lake there are willow, alder and poplar woods. In the area, 88 species of birds including resident, migratory and wintering species have been counted. Among the typical local products, the renowned Falerno
stands out. The production of this particular wine extends from the territory of Mondragone to the neigh-boring municipalities of Falciano del Massico, Carinola and Sessa Aurunca. There are various areas of the city which, due to their geographical conformation, determine the particularity of the taste of this wine.
Among these, the area of the “Gaurano”, on the slopes of Monte Petrino, deserve to be mentioned, with vines placed on lands influenced by the presence of a thermal subsoil. Another important area is the one that gener-ates the Falerno of the CD. “Levagnano”. For this last species, there are no farm producers, but only private ones, given the very small number of vines.
What makes this wine traditionally prized is the presence of vines on sandy soil, close to the sea, resulting in a very high alcohol content. In recent years the number of Falerno producing wineries has increased, many of which are booming.
Also typical of this area is the cultivation of Mondragone beans, a highly sought after product, which is exported throughout Italy.
On the territory there are numerous farms that work this particular product. Even the breeding and processing of milk have a strong impact on this territory, the city of Mondragone, in fact, is one of the main centers of production of buffalo mozzarella.
The activity represents one of the major employment opportunities for the Mondragonese. During the summer season, many tourists flock to the dairies to taste the Mondragone mozzarella.
The origins of Mondragone date back to the Quaternary era and the first inhabitants of the area lived in villages scattered throughout the territory, without fortifica-tions, easy prey for the Romans, who overpowered them, and in 296 BC founded the colony of Sinuessa. The particular fertility of the soil and the proximity to the sea meant that in a short time the colony was populated, coming to contain almost nine thousand in the flat area. Starting then from the 2nd century BC the cultivation of the vine began to spread: in a short time the Falerno wine production, extolled by Virgil in numerous works such as “nectar of the gods”, achieved very significant results and the city began to enjoy a large renown. The proximity of the Via Appia also facilitated trade and tourism exchanges, many Roman citizens, politicians, wealthy merchants, entrepreneurs, wanted to build villas and holiday homes and, in short, Sinuessa became a very renowned tourist center, also due to its highly curative of his thermal baths. In 375 Sinuessa suffered enormous damages due to a catastrophic earthquake and the survivors took refuge on the slopes of Monte Petrino, where they built a fortified village and the Rocca Petrina. The invasions continued throughout the Middle Ages and the city - reduced to a miserable village - took the name of Petrinum. After the French domination of the Kingdom of Naples (1815), Mondragone returned to the hands of the Bourbons and remained there until the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy (1861). Mondragone, a reference point for agriculture and
tourism, is located not far from the ancient Sinuessa and has medieval origins. The city is at the center of a varied environmental situation: on one side the coast and the pine forest, on the other the countryside rich in vegetables, olive trees and vines. The development of the city in the 60s and 70s saw the emigration of many farmers towards the seaside tourism sector, leaving aside the strong thermal opportunities that have never been fully exploited.
In fact, despite the great prestige of the baths in Roman times and the very current presence of natural thermal springs, the spa industry in Mondragone has never completely taken off in the modern era.
The city, even today, is divided between agriculture, trade and summer beach tourism, although the thermal springs could still prove to be a huge development opportunity for the local economy. Currently there is only one hotel facility with a spa that takes advantage of the sulphurous waters.
Today, however, the municipality is trying to expand the tourist offer, increasing enogastronic tourism and enhancing local products.
166
167
Agricultural production on the coast - source: www.anteprima24.it
16. Lamezia Terme
COASTAL ACTIVITY
URBAN AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
AGRO-FOOD PRODUCTION
NATURAL HERITAGE
170
171
Agricultural production on the coast of Lamezia - source: tripinview.com
Old city centre of Lamezia - source: www.turiscalabria.it
To the north-west of the territory of Lamezia Terme, next to the sulphurous mineral and mud water springs of the natural Baths of Caronte, lies the area of the Mitoio Park, a green lung of about 250 hectares on the side of the city. The park, located on the slopes of the Reventino mountain group, welcomes the typical example of Mediterranean maquis, with woods of oak, cork, acacia, chestnut trees, etc. Also the fauna has numerous specimens of birds and wild animals (wild boars and badgers). It is now established, following studies by scholars, that at that time in this area there was a volcano that has a direct connection with the Gulf of Sant’Eufemia, with the Aeolian Islands and above all with the great Marsili (the great volcano in the abysses of the Mediterranean Sea, positioned in the east right in the direction of the city of Lamezia Terme and all of Calabria). Below the surface of the sea, from Marsili (over 3,600 meters high and 450 meters from the sea surface), a canyon branches off that connects two other active volcanoes, the so-called Lametini Mountains, about a thousand meters high. Not only on the surface, but also off the coast there is a recognized natural heritage. Like many places in Calabria, Lamezia Terme has a
deep-rooted agricultural tradition, especially in the Sambiase area, known for the production of different varieties of typically Mediterranean crops.
In the area surrounding Lamezia Terme there are thirty farms, about 600 farmers and more than 6,000 farm laborers.
The main products of Lametini are the olive tree, mainly from the Carolea variety, from which Lametia DOP olive oil is produced with a typical strong taste, which occupies a large part of the cultivable area, and the vine, from which excellent wines are produced between including six Lamezia DOC wines: Lamezia bianco, Lamezia rosato, Lamezia rosso, Lamezia novello, Lamezia rosso riserva and Lamezia Greco. Lamezia wine is made from 1000 hectares planted with vines such as nerello mascalese, nerello cappuccio and greek black. This wine is the only red, along with Savuto, in which the Calabrese vine gagli-oppo plays a secondary role compared to the mascalese and the very popular cap, instead, in Sicily.
Along with the olive and the vine, they grow in the coun-tryside also lamentina: chestnut and beech; different herbaceous plants such as wheat, oats and maize; different and varied species of citrus fruits, among which the famous Clementines of Calabria PDO.
In Lamezia Terme there is one of the offices of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Mediterranean Studies in Reggio Calabria
Lamezia Terme is formally a fairly recent agglomer-ation, since the municipality was established on 4 January 1968, at the behest of Senator Perugini, from the administrative union of three inhabited centers, which, before that date, constituted municipalities in their own right (Nicastro, Sambiase and Sant’Eufemia Lamezia The history of Lamezia Terme includes,
there-fore, those of the three former municipalities, whose territories were inhabited even many centuries before these centers arose. There are archaeological finds that testify to the presence in its territory of communities of the Italic and Magno-Greek periods. In the Middle Ages two of the three settlements were born: Nicastro with a predominantly commercial vocation and Sambiase with an agricultural vocation. The fusion proposed by Senator Arturo Perugini arose from the need to create a strong urban agglomeration capable of making the most of the resources made available by the municipal territory. The city takes its name from the river Amato, once called Lametos, which crosses it in its most peripheral part. This name was originally given only to the former municipality of Sant’Eufemia Lamezia. With the administrative union of 1968, the name of Lamezia was chosen for the entire city, to which Terme was added, because of the spas of Caronte which are located in the homonymous hamlet of the former municipality of Sambiase. The third largest city in Calabria for inhabitants, Lamezia
Terme plays an important role as a business center for the local economy, playing a significant role as a regional geographical node for its road, rail and airport gaps. The Lameto economic framework is very complex and of great importance for the entire regional economy. Sea and mountains are the specific features of this area, with a typically Mediterranean climate.
However, alongside the seaside tourism along the coast, Lamezia Terme owes its attractiveness to the presence of sulphurous waters that gave rise to the Baths of Caronte, located near Sambiase. Known by the ancient Bruzi, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans and Hispanic-French, the thermal springs of Caronte have existed since ancient times, great personalities of Italian history and especially of classical and medieval European history have visited or written of the spa, among the such as the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, Robert the Guiscard and probably his brother Roger. The archaeolo-gist Paolo Orsi reiterates textually: “the thermal baths of Sambiase were also known in antiquity for their healthy effects, and everything leads them to believe that they identify with the Aquae Angae of which there is also a memory in the beautiful Terinese coinage “.
The sulphurous waters of the Caronte spring have thera-peutic properties suitable for different pathologies, also due to their correct temperature, around 39 ° C, which allows them to be used without any intervention.
17. Bagheria
Palermo - Italy
COASTAL ACTIVITY
URBAN AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
AGRO-FOOD PRODUCTION
NATURAL HERITAGE
174
175
Agricultural production on the coast of Bagheria - source: tripinview.com
Coast and port of Bagheria - source: tripinview.com
Along the coast, to the west of Bagheria, there are the promontory of Capo Zafferano and Monte Catalfano, declared Site of Community Interest (S.I.C.), according to the Habitat Directive 92/43 / EEC. The area, with a total area of 321.66 hectares, is characterized by cliffs subjected to the action of marine erosion. On the coast of the promontory there are some caves, also called zubbi (the Zubbio of Cozzo San Pietro, the Grotta dell’Eremita and the Grotta di Cala dell’Osta), which restored the remains of elephants along with lithic materials from the upper Paleolithic and ceramic fragments similar to the Culture of Castelluccio. The typically Mediterranean flora is home to numerous species of orchids, while the fauna includes various species of birds such as the peregrine falcon, the kestrel, the buzzard, the wild pigeon and the goldfinch.
In the south-eastern area of Monte Catalfano is the archaeological site of Solunto, a Hellenistic-Roman site dating from the middle of the century. IV BC This settlement was born following the abandonment of the old Punic settlement near the sea, which occurred after the victory of the Syracusan Dionysius over the Punic cities of western Sicily. In 254 BC, following the Punic Wars, the city came under Roman rule and, towards the end of the II and the beginning of the century. III AD, it was gradually abandoned by the inhabitants, probably due to the change in the historical conditions that for centuries had determined the population of this part of the island. The analysis of the agrarian context returns the image
of a territory with a strong agricultural vocation for history, tradition and culture and climatic conditions, in which, however, the primary sector has lost its centrality, vitality and strategic importance in the socio-economic fabric. As shown by the data of the programming of European funds in agriculture, the area relative to the coastal strip, intercepts a small part of the funds, which mostly flow into the internal area of the province. On the other hand, in the Bagheria Plain, recognized specialties such as Ciaculli late mandarin or Sicilian lemon are cultivated. The latter represented a precious resource for Bagheria.
In fact, starting from the 1950s, it was grown in large quantities and marketed all over the world. In the early 1980s, the first signs of a crisis began and the international market was conquered by other producing countries, including Spain. Since then, there have been very few that have continued, but for a couple of years something has started up again, thanks above all to organic. Today there are 8 cooperatives that sell lemons and other fruit and vegetables, while some farmers have begun to re-cultivate the land. They are modern compa-nies, equipped with the latest quality certifications. Half of them work with organic products.
Together with citrus fruits, today Bagheria is a produc-tion area of the extra-virgin olive oil of Val di Mazara DOP and of Sicily IGT wine, but also of cereals, wheat, vegetables and fodder, as well as breeding of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and poultry.
The toponym Bagheria originates from the Punic bayharia, that is «zone that descends towards the sea». The city of Bagheria rises in a narrow plain to the south-east of the city of Palermo, dominated by Monte Catalfano together with Monte Consona and the Montagnola of Serradifalco, where the so-called Forest of the Bacara extended. The urban origins of Bagheria began with the building of Palazzo Butera by Prince Giuseppe Branciforti, completed in 1658 by a previous farm owned by Benedetto Rizzo, which Branciforti had purchased in 1595. The urban fabric developed from a series of modest constructions. In 1769 the main axis of the Bagherese urban plan was outlined by Salvatore Branciforti - that is the Corso Butera, popularly known as Stratuni to differentiate it from Stratunieddu (the Corso Umberto I) - together with the construction of the Madrice Church which was completed in 1771. An important artery of Bagheria is the Corso Umberto I, formerly Via Municipio, which was traced in half by Salvatore Branciforti in the second half of the 18th century; there is the palace of the Duke of Milazzo, where Queen Maria Carolina of Austria was hosted. In the middle of the Corso Umberto I develop-ment, the two tall limestone pillars that constituted the
secondary access to the Villa Palagonia are present, incorporated in the urban fabric; each depict two armed statues, with feathered helmets and shields, including Justice with scale and sword. Another important artery within the urban fabric is the so-called Old Race, which later became Via Ciro Scianna. After Palermo, Bagheria is the most populated municipality
of the metropolitan city and the twelfth of Sicily, located on the Tyrrhenian coast of the region to 8 km from the capital. The toponym Bagheria originates from the Punic bayharia, that is «zone that descends towards the sea». The tourist offer of Baghera embraces every type of tourism, from the cultural, with its villas and museums, to the food and wine, with the many typical dishes of Sicilian gastronomy, from the seaside, along the coast to the promontory of Capo Zafferrano, to the natural one, with trails and excursions in natural parks and protected areas.
The baroque villas represent a renowned tourist attraction, so much so as to define Bagheria as “city of villas”. Not all can be visited and many are in a state of neglect, the villas represent the most valuable summer residences of the XVIII century Palermo aristocracy.
Alongside seaside and cultural tourism, Bagheria also attracts tourists for its typical Sicilian gastronomy with specialties such as: sfincione, arancine, mussels au gratin, swordfish rolls and Sicilian cannoli.
Ar ei al v ie w o f M on t S ai nt -M ich el , F ra nc e (C C) - E SA E ur op ea n S pa ce A ge nc y < w w w .e sa .in t/ ES A>
178
179
• coastal instability, continuous beach regression;
• poor environmental quality due to the coexistence of greenhouse
production areas and coastal areas intended for the tourism sector;
• lack of adequate communication infrastructures to manage tourist
flows and not along the coastal strip (air, rail, road, port);
• lack of a quality tourist-seaside offer, mainly based on the second
residence (differentiating the tourist offer);
• (where present) coastal pollution due to the presence of a
commercial port;
COASTAL ACTIVITY
• air pollution due to particles in suspension of road traffic and
agricultural products;
• noise pollution;
• saturation of the urban fabric inadequate to residential needs and
the displacement of commercial activities;
• territorial occupation for the creation of highly densified
commercial-industrial areas unrelated to the urban context;
• progressive increase in growth due to immigration;
• lack of employment.
URBAN AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
• desertification due to marginal crops;
• desertification due to forest fires;
• soil and subsoil pollution from agricultural waste (plant
protection products);
• contamination of irrigation water rich in dissolved fertilizers;
• excessive consumption of water and soil resources;
• high greenhouse gas emissions derived from production
processes;
• geological risks of floods and landslides due to soil sealing due
to plastics for crops;
• obsolete production structures and lack of technological
management support;
• lack of a road line suitable for medium and large vehicles for
agricultural transport;
• lack of support for the training of professionals working in the
agricultural sector.
AGRO-FOOD PRODUCTION
Weaknesses
and issues
MAPPING4.2
The weaknesses and general problems encountered thanks to the fact sheets common to all the case studies can be summarized in the four areas analyzed:
Analysis abacus
• degradation of protected areas due to inefficient maintenance
and protection;
• abandonment of natural areas due to the lack of tourist
services;
• lack of inclusive strategies for the enhancement of the
environmental-naturalistic heritage.
180
181
Ref: Calvino I. (1972), Le Città Invisibili, Einaudi.
Pic: Zenobia. Acquerello su carta cotone by Colleen Corradi Brannigan. <www.cittainvisibili.com/portfolio/zenobia.html>
It is useless to establish
whether Zenobia is to be
classified between
happy
cities
or between unhappy
cities. It is not in these two
species that it makes sense to
divide cities, but in two others:
those that continue through
the years and mutations
to
give shape to desires
and
those in which desires manage
to obliterate the city or are
canceled.
CULTURAL
DIFFUSION
goals
DATA COLLECTION5.1
The purposes of this study would go beyond the frontier of pure theoretical discussion to provide ideas, information, good practices and new perspectives for the territorial planning strategies of the Mediterranean coastal agricultural areas.
Therefore, in support of the research, an open-source online portal ‘MedCoastAgroCities’ <www.agrocities.com> was produced, whose primary objective is to promote the knowledge and cultural diffusion of projects and experiments so that in the field of research we can add a new tool for dissemination, analysis and comparison, facil-itating communication between: professionals (technical offices, institutions, professionals, individuals, etc.), universities (research) and companies.
This portal would thus make it possible to bring research closer to urban realities, comparing cities with similar problems and qualities to which replicable solutions can be suggested.
In fact, it can be a useful tool for:
encouraging public bodies to integrate new actions and innovative practices during the phases of drafting plans or processes of territo-rial governance, already showing their use and functioning in other similar contexts;
to help private bodies and/or companies by clarifying any doubts about the use of new technological systems and good practices, suggesting what can be the best strategies and the competent companies with which to collaborate;
facilitate partnerships between institutions, universities, companies, local authorities and associations by promoting participation in Euro-pean and international calls;
provide a showcase for new research, experiments and patents of universities, companies or private groups, publishing information, development and updates on the results obtained, encouraging global sharing and the possibility of arousing the interest of funding bodies; encourage the collaboration of scholars and companies dealing with common themes and/or researchers who experiment with similar practices or technologies in different research centers;
collect information and data, useful for understanding which topics are of most interest to users.
The MedCoast AgroCities platform consists of 4 main sections:
0. HOME
represents the opening page of the site.
1. HOW TO BE?
which explains the 6 selection criteria for MedCoast AgroCities described at the beginning of the research (Size, Localization, Climate, Rural economy, Heritage, Coastal activity).
2. MEDCOAST AGROCITIES
where it opens a map of the globe framed on the countries of the Latin Arc in which are reported the 24 case studies on which the research is based. An open form will allow users to propose new cities within the circuit, as long as they fall within the selection criteria.
3. AGROPROJECTS
represents the most useful section of the portal, as it collects a series of projects and good practices based on production systems, agricultural processes, sustainable strategies, experiments related to the field of food, etc. The information is organized, through in-depth sheets, in three different categories:
1. Best Practices (Buone pratiche)
2. Technological Innovation (Innovazione tecnologica) 3. Social Sharing (Condivisione sociale)
Each card will contain: the objective that the project aims to solve; the description of the type of intervention / action; the target audience for which it is addressed; a list of PROS and CONS that summarize the action, the sources with useful links to deepen the subject, a photo gallery and finally the georeferenced map (georeferencing) that physically places the project.
It will thus be possible to visualize in which places the project sear-ched has already been experimented and / or employed.
Furthermore, each in-depth analysis - organized as a form - will be marked with tags that allow interested users to narrow down the search field by inserting some keywords.
4. TEAM & PARTNERS
in the section dedicated to the team and the partners will be present all those who collaborate in the research or that collaterally represent an expert point of view useful to meet the needs of users.
A constantly updated gallery of useful and interesting publications related to the field of study closes the platform.
agrocities.com
structure
INDAGINE
SPERIMENTALE
194
195
MACH MODEL
MedCoast AgroCities strategic approach
is focused on
23 GOALS
divided into
6 CATEGORIES
and tries to solve them through
4 DEVICES
that carry out
13 ACTIONS
structure and
strategic
approach
APPLICATION6.1
As anticipated in the initial research objectives, the MACH (Mediterranean Agricultural Coastal Hubs) model is proposed as a strategic-operational approach to respond to the needs of the Mediterranean coastal agri-cultural cities (MedCoast AgroCities) described in the study. This tool is made up of 4 main devices able to operate through targeted actions, promoting part of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations, to which each country should adhere to the global development and protection. Of the 17 total categories (SDGs), 11 were considered.
For each of them a part of objectives has been selected, for a total of all 11 of 23 objectives. The latter were then disconnected from their initial categories and reorganized within the 6 areas in which the MACH model operates: agriculture, heritage, tourism, society, innovation, coast. To respond to the objectives in a concrete way, 4 devices have been identified (CoHub, EcoHub, FabLab, GreenHub), each of which operates through specific actions that can be projects, good practices or experi-ments already implemented or developed. Each of these is described in an in-depth sheet, in which objectives, progress, reference targets, pros and cons are analyzed.
The actions that make up the model represent a small part of the possibilities proposed, the digital platform, in fact, accompanies theo-retical research and provides a container of knowledge replicable and/or adaptable to the specific needs of each territorial reality.
The variety of actions and ideas make it possible to broadly adapt this system - purely strategic - to the different needs of the territory, while maintaining the main objectives.
This methodological approach therefore arises as a starting point and basic tool for all those who daily have the responsibility to act and trans-form cities towards a more sustainable and advanced development.
MACH Model:
196
197
[9.4] By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities;
[11.3] By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries;
[11.4] Strengthen efforts to protect and safe-guard the world’s cultural and natural heritage;
[12.2] By 2030, achieve sustainable manage-ment and efficient use of natural resources; [12.3] By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses;
[12.4] By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accor-dance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment; [12.5] By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse;
[10.2] By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irre-spective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status;
[14.2] By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans; [14.5] By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information;
[13.1] Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries;
[15.3] By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world; [15.1] By 2020, ensure the conservation, restora-tion and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under interna-tional agreements;
[15.2] By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and refore-station globally;
[15.5] Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
[2.3] By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment; [2.4] By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricul-tural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality;
[6.6] By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes;
[7.2] By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; [7.3] By 2030, double the global rate of improve-ment in energy efficiency;
[8.2] Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors; [8.9] By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products;
198
199
AGRICULTURE
Production and Food
HERITAGE
Cultural and Natural
TOURISM
Promotion and Valorization
SOCIETY
Communication and Integration
INNOVATION
Technology and Development
COAST
200
201
The diagram opposite shows the abacus of actions that are managed by the four different devices (CoHub, EcoHub, FabLab, GreenHub) to meet the proposed objectives.
In some cases, a certain objective - for example the 2.4 - is associated with several actions carried out by different devices - in this case CoHub and EcoHub. This is because each device can work autonomously or integrated with another, and one action can respond to multiple objectives at the same time.
In the following pages the approach that follows the model will be clearly explained, firstly by defining what the four devices actually are, which objectives they try to solve and in what way, through actions. Each proposed action, which can be a project, a good practice, an experimentation, a research, a patent, etc., is described through an in-depth sheet in the online platform (<www.agrocities.com>), like those take for example.
In this first experimental phase the main issues on which the study is based are thirteen, but it is freedom of the professional who intends to use this theoretical basis to face a strategic planning, add, eliminate or replace the actions, according to the objectives he intends to achieve.
abacus MACH:
devices,
objectives,
actions
202
203
COHUB
The CoHub is a tool designed to
support, help and implement
businesses. The creation of a
Consortium aims to train skilled
workers, through training and
updating courses, developing
technical skills, such as the updating
of production tools (computers,
sensors, machinery, etc.), product
promotion skills (export , online
sales, brand promotion, etc.),
waste management skills (recycling
chains, sorting of hazardous and
non-hazardous waste, etc.) and
environmental awareness (new
practices for sustainable, ecological
and organic production).
204
205
[12.8]
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature;
[13.1]
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries;
GOALS
A.
Development of new systems and tools to support the updating and training of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in order to train skilled workers, encourage business development, increase SME productivity through the creation of a Consortium of training common to several SMEs [CoHub], able to manage the training of staff by means of refresher courses divided by the different areas of SMEs.
ACTIONS
Actions References:
Agricolus App, Italy. <www.agricolus.com>
B.
Implement awareness campaigns to the problem of desertification and soil degradation, training and refresher courses, in order to educate the sector operators on the potential of new techniques of conservation agriculture, agro-ecology, organic and precision farming. Training above all in the use of hi-tech instruments and applications to optimize the use of water resources, choose the soil-based crops, and improve productivity.
Actions References:
Skils Training by SMEs: Innovative Cases and the Consortium Approach in the Republic of Korea, ADB Institute.
<www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/ 188802/adbi-wp579.pdf>
[2.3]
By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment;
[2.4]
By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
[8.2]
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors;
207
OBJECTIVES:
The SME Training Consortiums program aimed to combat unemployment and improve the productivity of SME workers by helping groups of SMEs organize themselves to launch and manage in-service training of their workers.
Each consortium formed an operating committee to manage its training tasks. The operating committee was composed of representatives of training consortium member enterprises, the local chamber of commerce, the Ministry of Labor field office, and training experts, and met periodically for the planning and management of the consortium member enterprises’ training affairs. The project provided each consortium with two training specialists financed by a levy grant fund (one of three employment insurance funds) to relieve the organizational, informational, and financial constraints that SMEs face in developing their human resources. Individually, each SME could not afford to recruit its own training specialist (Lee 2006).
DESCRIPTION:
The Ministry of Labor opted to launch the pilot SME in-service training consortium project. However, the project implementation was entrusted to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). The pilot project was launched in June 2001 and completed in December 2002. The Ministry of Labor and the KCCI selected three industrial cities for the project—Busan, Incheon, and Kwangjoo—and the ministry’s field office and the local chamber of the KCCI in these cities were instrumental in the implementation of the project.
Each local KCCI chamber helped a group of 30–50 SMEs in the same area and industry to organize themselves into a training consortium, and also financed two training managers for each consortium. The two training managers played a key role: they were to act as the training specialists for the member SMEs. “They were to establish an information network among consortium members (e.g., home page, email systems, and periodic meetings); conduct a training-needs survey of each member SME through interviews with managers and workers,
SME TRAINING CONSORTIUM
Consortium Approach in the Republic of Korea
Busan, Incheon, Kwangjoo - Korea
SOURCES: www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/188802/adbi-wp579.pdf
and through job analysis; plan and program training activities of member SMEs; contract outside training institutions to train workers collectively as much as possible; collaborate with training institutions to develop training programs and materials; monitor their training activities; and conduct an evaluation study upon completion of major training courses on behalf of the member SMEs” (Lee 2006).
IMPACTS
This evaluation of the achievements and impacts of the pilot project focuses on (i) the organization and operation of the training consortium; (ii) participation in in-service training; (iii) training levy rebates to SMEs; and (iv) other outcomes (such as promotion of SME productivity, prevention of unemployment, shift to a demand-driven training system, enhanced competition and cooperation in training markets, and strengthened partnership between public and private entities in training affairs).
Upon mainstreaming of the program in 2003, the number of SME training consortiums multiplied every year. Today, together with training programs for unemployed workers, the Training Consortium Program for workers employed by SMEs is the bellwether program of the Ministry of Labor in the Republic of Korea. In 2011, the Training Consortium Program trained 229,000 workers from 112,750 SMEs with the training levy rebates of 98.7 billion won.
TARGET:
This project is addresses to workers employed in SMEs.
CONS:
• organization and management of the consotium and the training
PROS:
• improve the productivity of SME workers • combat unemployment
• develop human resources of SMEs
Training by Enterprises: Number of Trainees and Expenditures
Source: Republic of Korea, Ministry of Employment and Labor. The Current Status of the Vocational Skills Development Project. Historical Trend of Trainees by Type of Training (‘000 persons) Source: Government of the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Labor. The Current Status of the Vocational Training Project. VT = vocational training
BES
T PR
A
CTICES
Te am w or ki ng (C C0 ) P h. R aw pi xe l209
TECHNOL
OGIC
AL IN
NO
VA
TION
OBJECTIVES:
Agricolus start up wants to support farmers and agricultural operators in optimizing agronomic practices by making AgTech tools, data collection and analysis technologies easier.
DESCRIPTION:
Agricolus s.r.l. is an innovative startup which develops solutions for Smart Agriculture. The core of the company is a cloud ecosystem of precision farming applications: Decision Support System, forecast models, smart pest and disease control, and remote sensing. The project was launched in 2010 thanks to the collaboration between the Research & Development (R&D) team at TeamDev, a software company based in Perugia, Italy, and Aedit s.r.l., a spin-off of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa that works in research, development, transfer and dissemination of information technology in the agri-environmental sector. The idea of a sustainable future, high professionalism, great experiences, and dynamism define the identity of Agricolus S. r. l., whose strength is made up of a multidisciplinary team: agronomists and developers, GIS technicians and data scientists working for modern agriculture.
Earth Observation enables a new Era of Precision Farming
The core project of the company is a cloud-based ecosystem of precision farming applications. Also named Agricolus, it is a web platform that can be accessed easily by briefly creating an account: the platform enables farmers to make targeted decisions regarding the specific needs of their individual crops. These decisions reduce costs, improve yield quality and quantity, and also minimise the environmental impacts of farming. Such decision support systems, forecast models, smart pest and disease control tools in combination with remote sensing provide completely new solutions and production procedures for farmers and technicians. Earth observation data from Copernicus Sentinel 2 are processed in the Agricolus application and can be accessed by the user by means of the imagery feature. The Earth observation data help farmers to identify homogeneous management zones at a farm level
AGRICOLUS
Tech Start Up for Smart Agriculture
Perugia - Italy
SOURCES: www.agricolus.com/en/
by considering crop status regarding, for example, irrigation needs or plant protection interventions. It compares the plant vigour and water stress values for several fields. It is also possible to analyse time variation for the entire farmland or single crops.
Reducing Damage by the Olive Fruit Fly in Italy
Since 2015, ASSOPROL Umbria, an Italian association with more than 1,900 olive oil
producers, has been using the Agricolus platform in order to monitor trends in olive fruit fly populations and weather conditions in order to help farmers recognise the right time to begin targeted treatments.
One of the most useful Agricolus features in this case is the forecasting model for the probability (risk) of generation and distribution of the olive fruit fly.
As one of the top 50 Copernicus Masters entrants in 2017, Agricolus gained access to the second edition of the Copernicus Accelerator and is now supported by its mentor Willem Bulthuis from WBX Consulting, who supports the delicate step of scaling-up. Shortly after the start of the coaching, the first version of Agricolus Essential was released online, making it possible to access a basic version of the application worldwide.
TARGET:
This project is addresses to: agronomists, farmers, developers, GIS technicians, agri-food processors, agricultural operators and data scientists.
CONS:
• need to update and basic training
PROS:
• spread of technological know-how • economic and environmental sustainability • optimizing the yield
• preventing and monitoring climate and pest adversities of crops
• reducing costs for the use of resources (water, plant protection products, fertilizers)
• tracing the quality of production • improving crops management • reducing environmental impact
210
211
