Title: Paths to developing multifunctional agriculture: insights for rural development policies

Authors: Leonardo Casini; Caterina Contini; Caterina Romano

Addresses: University of Florence, P.le delle Cascine, 18, 50144, Firenze, Italy. ' University of Florence, P.le delle Cascine, 18, 50144, Firenze, Italy. ' University of Florence, P.le delle Cascine, 18, 50144, Firenze, Italy

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: agricultural multifunctionality; state of the art; rural development; Italy; agriculture; development policy; Sicily; non-market goods; non-market services; public intervention; development models; farming.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2012.050347

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2012 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.185 - 203

Accepted: 22 Aug 2012
Published online: 29 Jul 2014 *

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