1,720,962 research outputs found
Artigianato, comunità e territorio:un sistema complesso
No full textAround the figure of the craftsman are springing up numerous debates and discussions. Indeed, in this period of crisis in which the current economic model is called into question, going back to look at the internal resources and the know-how of the people becomes a necessity. Many terms have been used to try to describe this time of transition and change, but the word that recurs often, and perhaps it is the most striking, is the term revolution: artisan revolution, the third-industrial revolution, the revolution of things, and so on. A very strong term that probably does not mean much a sudden upheaval, but rather a change course of action that identifies a different future in one of the more traditional cultures. Looking at the craftsmanship as a starting point to rebuild our social and economic fabric, that is currently disrupted, does not mean that we need to regret or look back into the past. This craftsman, in fact, represents a mixture of knowledge and experience that certainly draws from the local and rooted culture; but at the same time, this figure hold the potentiality to restore his social role into the the urban areas, defining an alternative economic and social model.No coincidence that knowing how-to-do-things and manual labor are becoming the contact point between two worlds in intense antithesis, one of the bits and that of atoms, digital and analog systems. Our products are, in fact, more and more the result of the flow and of the combination of two kinds of matter: the first one is easier to see the real one, the atoms and the other, more intangible and malleable, is made up of bits. The ones can easily give life to the others, calling a truce between the continuous rivalry between digital and analog systems. The bits can be easily transferred and shared on the internet, exploiting the potential of popular and participatory network, as well as the availability of many free design tools. The bits can be transformed into matter through desktop machines, such as 3D printers and laser cutters, easy to use and usable in our own garage. It is precisely this transformation that C. Anderson, and the movement of the makers in general, identifying the challenge for change, "In the next generation, atoms are the new bits." In this context, the concept of craftsmanship is covered with new meanings and connotations. The craftsman becomes digital and in command of movements and phenomena which claim strongly a new consumption model. In the craftsmanship values, there are the strength to restore a critical thinking model, making people aware of their potential and their belonging to a community, real or virtual as well. A new sense of belonging and sharing that goes beyond the concept of physical proximity and embraces the intellectual and cultural one. In a society so strongly connected, in which actually no place is far away, one is naturally led to wonder what role would play the territory and what sense could assume concepts as local or small. The aim of my research is therefore to investigate what kind of relationships are generated on the local territory by the craft activities, trying to delineate the social, environmental and economic dimensions. In fact, the current economic crisis has called into question the concept of growth and development to which we are accustomed, leading us to reassess our value system. As every moment of difficulty, it offers however, also a starting point for implementing a change, a chance to re-establish the balance between economic activities and their impacts on environment, society and cultur
Systemic Consortium: system vision applied to the small and average farms of Cuneo’s district
No full textThe focus of our research is the province of Cuneo and its agricultural economy and production. Cuneo is located in the North West part of Italy and it represents for extension one of the most important provinces in the Italian scene.
In particular our interest is on small and medium farms that, for their nature, represent the real fulcrum of Cuneo’s economy. Analyzing the current situation of food-producing, it’s evident how productive processes are linear and based overall on quantity and not quality.
In this way the territory has lost the link with its history, local values and know- how to pursue the globalization ideal and receipts.
It happens that in a province like Cuneo, South American cereal are grown and imported to feed English breed of swine, that are going to be one of the most popular Italian products: Parma’s raw ham! The real problem is that some cultivations have replaced the native ones, and some others, as cereals, are insufficient to provide for territory needs; so products coming from small farms are devalued, because they are sold by large retailers without any indication about their provenance and peculiarity. Moreover all weaving factories have natural outputs, considered as wastes. Applying the systemic approach to the Cuneo’s district we connected the different weaving factories, breeding and agriculture ones, creating a kind of consortium, in which they share knowledge, potential, products and overall outputs to pursue goals in common and to create new opportunity, dividing cost and pay-off. This is called Systemic Consortium.
So the real challenge is changing the way we think about sustainability, only with dialogue and collaboration between the local weaving factory, it’s possible to create a correct and fair development: a network in which output becomes input, wastes are resources and the processes are in balance with territory and ecosystem
DESIGN SISTEMICO E TERRITORIO Progettare relazioni virtuose tra agricoltura, produzione energetica e modelli di consumo.ALLEGATO B: ENERGIA DA e PER IL TERRITORIO
Get PDFThe current consumption model identifies the base of the well-being of individuals and the community itself as the possession of property. The idea of development generated is a quantitative model, strongly backed by the economic system, and it does not matter what you consume as long as the outcome results in an increase in demand. Agriculture is no exception, as well as other sectors of the economy ,it results subject to strict laws of supply and demand: the food has slowly transformed into an industrial product, on the one hand becoming increasingly affordable and abundant, but on the other more standard and approved.
The intensification of production has necessitated the large-scale use of pesticides and antibiotics in order to consistently meet the quantity and esthetic standards required by the market. Concepts such as seasonality and typicality have been altered, getting the consumers used to have any product anywhere and any time.
This has modified our relationship with food: we eat more than we need, we buy more than we can consume, These shortcomings lead to our actions and behaviors that cause the waste and the disposal of a huge quantity of edible food, and separating our choices from their effects on health and territory, leading to the consolidation of a pattern of consumption that is not sustainable environmentally, socially and economically.
If we consider that food chains are one of the sectors most energy-intensive and polluting, it follows that the current pattern of consumption can no longer be socially, environmentaly and economically consolidated and supported. On the other hand, the very close link between agriculture, energy and health represents a new starting point for designing a model of virtuous life and conscious, capable of generating culture and wellness.
For nearly a decade, however, new realities, that have sought to find a different way of acting, are developing in a new economy which can create fertile ground for a local sustainable development. The purpose of our work is to define, through the analysis of different case studies, new scenarios of possible development, which can create new positive relationship between the protagonists of the system, and in which the flows of energy and matter constitute new resources and opportunities for the territory
DESIGN SISTEMICO E TERRITORIO. Progettare relazioni virtuose tra agricoltura, produzione energetica e modelli di consumo.Allegato A CIBO E TERRITORIO Scenari progettuali per Giaveno
Get PDFThe current consumption model identifies the base of the well-being of individuals and the community itself as the possession of property. The idea of development generated is a quantitative model, strongly backed by the economic system, and it does not matter what you consume as long as the outcome results in an increase in demand. Agriculture is no exception, as well as other sectors of the economy ,it results subject to strict laws of supply and demand: the food has slowly transformed into an industrial product, on the one hand becoming increasingly affordable and abundant, but on the other more standard and approved. The intensification of production has necessitated the large-scale use of pesticides and antibiotics in order to consistently meet the quantity and esthetic standards required by the market. Concepts such as seasonality and typicality have been altered, getting the consumers used to have any product anywhere and any time. This has modified our relationship with food: we eat more than we need, we buy more than we can consume, These shortcomings lead to our actions and behaviors that cause the waste and the disposal of a huge quantity of edible food, and separating our choices from their effects on health and territory, leading to the consolidation of a pattern of consumption that is not sustainable environmentally, socially and economically. If we consider that food chains are one of the sectors most energy-intensive and polluting, it follows that the current pattern of consumption can no longer be socially, environmentaly and economically consolidated and supported. On the other hand, the very close link between agriculture, energy and health represents a new starting point for designing a model of virtuous life and conscious, capable of generating culture and wellness. For nearly a decade, however, new realities, that have sought to find a different way of acting, are developing in a new economy which can create fertile ground for a local sustainable development. The purpose of our work is to define, through the analysis of different case studies, new scenarios of possible development, which can create new positive relationship between the protagonists of the system, and in which the flows of energy and matter constitute new resources and opportunities for the territory
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM: A SHARING RESPONSIBILITY
Get PDFThe food system has slowly passed from a natural process into an industrial one, becoming increasingly affordable and abundant, but more standard and approved. This has modified our relationship with food: we eat more than we need; we buy more than we can consume. These shortcomings lead separating our choices from their effects on health and territory. The purpose of our work is to define how the systemic approach increases the level of resilience of small companies, helping to raise the endogenous processes and the variety within the territory system in order to define an economic potential on a local scale
New Model OF consumption: scenarios for sustainability
Get PDFThe current consumption model identifies the base of the well-being of individuals and the community itself as the possession of property. Agriculture is no exception; as well as other sectors of the economy, it is subject to strict laws of supply and demand: food has slowly transformed into an industrial product, on the one hand becoming increasingly affordable and abundant, but on the other more standard and approved. In addition, if we consider that food chains are one of the most energy-intensive and polluting sectors, it follows that the current pattern of consumption can no longer be socially, environmentally and economically consolidated and supported. The purpose of our work is to define, through the analysis of different case studies, new scenarios of possible development, which can create new positive relationships between the protagonists of the system, and in which the flows of energy and matter constitute new resources and opportunities for the territory
New Model OF consumption: scenarios for sustainability
No full textThe current consumption model identifies the base of the well-being of individuals and the community itself as the possession of property. Agriculture is no exception; as well as other sectors of the economy, it is subject to strict laws of supply and demand: food has slowly transformed into an industrial product, on the one hand becoming increasingly affordable and abundant, but on the other more standard and approved. In addition, if we consider that food chains are one of the most energy-intensive and polluting sectors, it follows that the current pattern of consumption can no longer be socially, environmentally and economically consolidated and supported. The purpose of our work is to define, through the analysis of different case studies, new scenarios of possible development, which can create new positive relationships between the protagonists of the system, and in which the flows of energy and matter constitute new resources and opportunities for the territor
- …
