1,721,288 research outputs found
Agroecological and conventional agricultural systems: comparative analysis of coffee farms in Brazil for sustainable development
No full textA main problem in emerging countries is the reduction of poverty in
rural areas with sustainable agricultural systems. This study analyses
differences between agroecology (a pattern of sustainable economic
development with ecological processes directed to reduce production costs and
support natural resource management) and conventional agricultural systems by
using data of 15 small coffee farms in the East Region of Minas Gerais state
(Brazil) that is characterised by rural poverty and environmental fragility. The
results show that agroecological systems can support local small farmers to
stabilise and diversify incomes. In addition, results here reveal that
agroecological practices, compared to conventional agricultural systems, have
eliminated the use of pesticides and reduced the use of fertilisers, supporting
larger areas of forest conservation. Overall, then, this study suggests that
agroecology is a cost-effective and sustainable agricultural system for
smallholder farmers to support sustainable economic growth and wellbeing of
rural areas
Il Crowdfunding per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile
No full textIl crowdfunding è una forma di finanziamento partecipativo e collaborativo
in cui singoli individui sostengono economicamente i progetti imprenditoriali
o sociali proposti da altre persone su internet. Questo strumento tra pari
rappresenta un canale di finanziamento alternativo a quello degli intermediari
finanziari tradizionali e si basa sulla creazione di comunità che operano online
a livello globale. Il crowfunding prevede diverse modalità di finanziamento
come donazioni, prestiti di denaro e partecipazione in capitale di rischio, con
varie tipologie di ritorno per il finanziatore. Promotori dei progetti e finanziatori
interagiscono grazie alle piattaforme di crowdfunding che agevolano l’incontro
tra gli attori e lo scambio di informazioni, riducono i rischi nelle transazioni
e incentivano lo sviluppo di comunità interessate a specifici temi. Il
crowdfunding rappresenta un’opportunità per lo sviluppo di progetti orientati
alla sostenibilità ambientale e al valore sociale. Nonostante sia uno strumento
largamente utilizzato in tutto il mondo da più di un decennio, non è di facile
impiego e per realizzare campagne di raccolta fondi che risultino vincenti
devono essere prese in considerazione varie accortezze. In questo articolo è
sintetizzata la principale letteratura sull’argomento. Dapprima viene data una
breve descrizione del crowdfunding, illustrandone le origini, il funzionamento
e gli attori che intervengono nel processo. Successivamente sono analizzati
i principali elementi che determinano il successo o meno di una campagna.
Scopo dell’articolo è suggerire un utilizzo accorto del crowdfunding agli operatori
impegnati nell’ambito dello sviluppo sostenibile
AGROECOLOGIA E SVILUPPO RURALE NELLA REGIONE ORIENTALE DEL MINAS GERAIS
No full textNell'area orientale dello stato del Minas Gerais è stato realizzato il progetto di cooperazione internazionale tra Italia e Brasile "Agroecologia e formazione socio ambientale per lo sviluppo sostenibile" con lo scopo di sostenere l'agroecologia per lo sviluppo rurale locale. L'area è caratterizzata dalla produzione estensiva di caffè principalmente a livello di agricoltura familiare. Il caffè, oltre a sostenere quasi totalmente l'economia locale, rappresenta uno dei maggiori driver di distruzione della Foresta Atlantica, bioma locale molto importante per la fornitura di servizi ambientali. Grazie alla collaborazione tra Università di Torino e RE.TE. Ong, nell'ambito del progetto Uni.Coo, è stato realizzato uno studio economico per confrontare l'utilizzo di pratiche agroecologiche e convenzionali con lo scopo di verificare se le prime potessero effettivamente contribuire allo sviluppo sostenibile dell'economia regionale. Sono state confrontate diverse variabili economiche e ambientali in 6 unità produttive. I risultati dello studio indicano che le pratiche agroecologiche siano in grado di fornire mediamente maggiori redditi, remunerare maggiormente il lavoro, diversificare i redditi e le diete, oltre a contribuire sia alla riduzione dell'uso prodotti chimici che alla conservazione forestale. Lo studio suggerisce che l'agroecologia possa rappresentare un possibile modello di sviluppo agricolo sostenibile per la regione
Antropocene e agricoltura: il paradigma possibile dell’agroecologia
No full textSecondo le teorie più recenti, l’Antropocene, vale a dire l’epoca geologica
caratterizzata dall’attività umana, è iniziata negli anni ’50 del secolo scorso.
Nello stesso periodo, l’agricoltura ha subito una rivoluzione tecnologica
senza precedenti nella storia dell’umanità che ha contribuito in modo determinante
ai fenomeni di cambiamento globale dell’Antropocene. Il ruolo del
sistema agroindustriale moderno convenzionale nell’attuale crisi ambientale
è ben conosciuto. L’articolo ripercorre l’evoluzione dell’agricoltura dalla Rivoluzione
Verde a oggi, evidenziando alcuni dei trend più importanti. Descrive,
poi, il sistema di produzione noto come agroecologia, suggerendo la
necessità che esca dalla nicchia di esperienze di piccola scala cui è ancora
relegata per diventare paradigma dell’agricoltura del futuro
Fiscal policies, public investments and wellbeing dynamics: mapping the evolution of the EU through crises
No full textThe European Union faced several crises in the last twenty years that destabilized its macroeconomic equilibrium
and development capacity. Standard economic methodologies were capable of neither predicting nor completely solving
these crises through appropriate investments. To understand the overall development performance, the well-known Human
Development Index (HDI) is the most widely deployed conceptual framework. In this article, we look at the components of
welfare dynamics in the EU by examining socio-economic performance. Through a ‘beyond gross domestic product (GDP)’
approach, we analyse public expenditures, especially focusing on the pillars of growth and socio-economic development:
education, health, and total R&D. We believe that convergence policies and sustainability policies should together be given a
greater role within the EU agenda. They are necessarily interlinked with each other and with the common welfare, the true
objective of public policy. European strategies on the key human development pillars were heterogeneous during the last
decades. The post 2009 recession was characterized by non-expansionary measures that have undermined development in
most countries. Due to the lack of a robust investment patterns towards human and sustainable development, European countries were not fully prepared to tackle the COVID-19 shock. Growth and development figures were already gloomy in
2019 and the years before. The hope is that this lesson is useful to create a solid society and economic system for possible
future crises
Micro is beautiful. Adoption of eco-innovations in micro-firms
No full textIn Europe, micro-firms contribute significantly to both the economy and the environmental impact on ecosystems. Helping them become greener and stimulating innovation toward new sustainable and circular solutions could substantially contribute to the European goal of achieving carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability, as promoted by the European Green Deal and Next Generation EU programs. Nevertheless, eco-innovation (EI) by micro-firms is studied little in the literature. In this paper, we analyze the main determinants of conventional and EI adoption by micro-firms. We used an ad-hoc survey developed for enterprises in Emilia-Romagna (Italy), an important region in terms of innovation where micro-firms play a significant role in the economy. The paper analyzes whether human capital, training, R&D activities, collaboration activities to improve learning, and the environmental culture within the firm act as main determinants of innovation adoption, in addition to other standard drivers and barriers to innovation adoption studied in the extant literature. Moreover, we compare innovation adoption strategies between micro-firms and SMEs. While our results highlight differences in the determinants of EI and conventional innovation adoption, there are important heterogeneities when it comes to innovation adoption strategies
Adopting sustainable irrigation technologies in Italy: a study on the determinants of inter- and intra-farm diffusion
No full textThis paper analyses the drivers for adopting irrigation systems with water conservation and saving technologies (WCSTs) by Italian farmers. The agricultural sector in Italy, like in other Mediterranean countries, suffers from water scarcity and water endowment variability. Water resources play a decisive role in agricultural production and in implementing large-scale WCSTs capable of improving the resilience of the whole agricultural sector. This study uses a microeconomic panel data approach to estimate farmers' decisions in adopting (inter-farm) sustainable irrigation technologies and assesses the intensity of (intra-farm) water-saving practices. Our analysis identifies the main determinants of adopting WCSTs for Italian farmers based on different socio-economic, physical, environmental and climatic variables
Adopting sustainable irrigation technologies in Italy: a study on the determinants of inter- and intra-farm diffusion
No full textThis paper analyses the drivers for adopting irrigation systems with water conservation and saving technologies (WCSTs) by Italian farmers. The agricultural sector in Italy, like in other Mediterranean countries, suffers from water scarcity and water endowment variability. Water resources play a decisive role in agricultural production and in implementing large-scale WCSTs capable of improving the resilience of the whole agricultural sector. This study uses a microeconomic panel data approach to estimate farmers’ decisions in adopting (inter-farm) sustainable irrigation technologies and assesses the intensity of (intra-farm) water-saving practices. Our analysis identifies the main determinants of adopting WCSTs for Italian farmers based on different socio-economic, physical, environmental and climatic variables
The role of local institutional quality for the digital and environmental transitions in Italy
No full textThe ‘Good Farmer’ concept and the diffusion of innovations in rural Africa
No full textEndogenous agricultural development is needed to improve food productivity and address the socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing Africa in the near future. Considering the failure of past top-down development policies, the integral development of Africa’s agricultural sector, requires tailoring technological and
technical improvements to the local rural realities while respecting their cultural identities and social norms. This paper focuses on the “Good Farmer” concept in a framework of symbolic interactionism, social capital production and shared identity. The study analyzes how the “Good Farmer” concept is perceived in rural Africa through textual analysis of a 2019 survey conducted in Mozambique. The results
are compared with the definition of the “Good Farmer” in Western Countries from a Structured Literature Review. The analysis reveals that there is a key difference in Western and rural African conceptions of what is considered being a “Good Farmer”. In rural Africa, there is strong emphasis on community aspects and knowledge transfer, which can be of great importance in influencing the diffusion of innovation processes for its rural development
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