1,721,235 research outputs found
Crollo artigiani: “Processo iniziato già nella seconda metà del Novecento”
No full textLa preoccupante situazione degli artigiani in provincia di Alessandria, come in tutta Italia, torna a far riflettere sul futuro di alcuni importanti settori dell’alessandrino. Lo fa Michele Fontefrancesco antropologo sociale, professore associato dell’Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, che in una breve analisi ha tracciato le cause di una situazione partita da lontano, da una crisi che ha spolpato l’artigianato e impedito il ricambio generazionale
L’importanza delle filiere alternative: la lezione della ristorazione nella contea di Nakuru, Kenya
No full textN/
Oltre Il Verde DellaCampagna. Beyond the Countryside Green
No full textIn the past century, ethnographers have turned their gaze to the rural West, examining how communities have navigated the challenges of development and modernization (Rhoades, 2005). Italy mirrors this trajectory: once a nation of peasants at the time of unification, and where half the population still depended on agriculture after World War II, it gradually transformed into a nation of workers and city dwellers (Bravo, 2013). This shift resulted in the ruination of the agricultural landscape: a loss and concealment of agricultural history beneath the underbrush (Fontefrancesco, 2024). These verses seek to evoke that landscape through the words and memories of my informants.
Fieldwork has been ongoing since 2014 in San Giovanni in Monferrato, a small municipality of just over a thousand people, located in Monferrato, a hilly region between the Po and Tanaro valleys in Alessandria province. Like other neighboring towns, San Giovanni experienced steady depopulation and minimal industrialization during the twentieth century, benefiting only marginally from the economic boom and the emergence of industrial districts. Over the last century, its population has declined to just over 20% of its original size. This demographic collapse has been accompanied by increased commuting and aging, only slightly offset in recent decades by growing but limited tourism (Fontefrancesco, 2025, 31–34).
The verses presented here are reworkings of my field diary, transforming narrative sketches into poetic form. They can be read as an impressionist ethnographic vignette (Van Maanen, 2011), where poetic language creates an experimental space (Berlant & Stewart, 2019) that invites a more immersive and affective engagement. The goal is to convey the historical layering and interconnections that shape the rural landscape (Ingold, 2011), highlighting the significance of uncultivated land (Favole, 2024) beyond its romanticized image as an idyllic bucolic space. In doing so, the verses aim to reveal how modernization and globalization have shaped even this seemingly remote and traditional rural corner of Italy (Woods, 2007)
A Pillar for any menu: perspectives and constraints in the diffusion of traditional foods in the restaurant sector.
No full textN/
A fragile food system: Navigating the tension between global and local agrifood chains
No full textFood systems are complex networks of relationships, actors, and processes that govern the production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food. Over time, globalization has dramatically reshaped these systems, transitioning from localized agricultural economies to highly integrated global supply chains. While this transformation has increased food availability and diversity, it has also introduced vulnerabilities related to market volatility, environmental degradation, and food security.
This paper explores the fragility of contemporary food systems, emphasizing the tensions between global and local production models and their implications for economic and social sustainability.
A key focus of this study is the contrast between global agri-food chains and short agrifood chains (SACs). Globalized food production, exemplified by commodities like soybeans, is highly dependent on long-distance trade and large-scale industrial farming, often leading to environmental degradation and socio-economic inequalities. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the risks associated with these interconnected food systems, as supply chain disruptions led to food shortages and economic instability. Scholars and policymakers have since intensified discussions on the need for resilient, localized food networks that can provide greater stability and sustainability.
In response to these challenges, short agrifood chains (SACs) have emerged as an alternative model, promoting local production, direct producer-consumer relationships, and reduced environmental impact. Italy serves as a case study for understanding the role of SACs in preserving traditional food systems and fostering rural economic resilience. While SACs offer promising solutions to food system fragility, they also face structural and market-related challenges, including financial constraints, aging workforces, and difficulties in scaling production. Moreover, limited infrastructure and digital access hinder their ability to compete with industrialized agribusinesses.
One of the key strategies explored in this paper is disintermediation, which reduces the number of intermediaries between farmers and consumers. By leveraging farmers’ markets, e-commerce platforms, community-supported agriculture, and agritourism, small producers can reclaim greater control over pricing and distribution. Additionally, food tourism and experiential food marketing provide new revenue streams for rural communities, reinforcing the connection between consumers and local food culture.
Despite these advancements, significant policy interventions and financial investments are necessary to support the long-term sustainability of SACs. Streamlining regulatory frameworks, improving market access, and investing in rural infrastructure will be crucial in fostering a more equitable and resilient food economy. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating perspectives from economics, environmental science, and social policy to address the structural challenges of contemporary food systems.
Ultimately, the ongoing transformation of food production reflects a broader shift toward sustainability, community empowerment, and ethical consumption. The study highlights how localized food networks and disintermediated markets can contribute to a more resilient and socially just agrifood system, while acknowledging the ongoing challenges that must be addressed to ensure their viability. By examining the interplay between global and local food systems, this research provides valuable insights into the future of food production, consumption, and governance in an increasingly uncertain world
Bonus Vesta. La riflessione di Fontefrancesco: “Quando il gioco si fa veloce solo ricchi e città riescono a giocare?”
No full textAnalisi dello sviluppo in chiave territoriale dell'implementazione del bonus Vesta in regione Piemonte per i territori marginal
Empowering rural tourism in Europe. Understanding the educational needs of a rising sector.
Full text linkEmpowering rural tourism in Europe. Understanding the educational
needs of a rising sector, is one of the results of the European
Erasmus+ project “The European Network for the Promotion of
Culinary and Proximity Tourism in Rural Areas” (www.gastrotourism.
eu). It presents the results of the field research conducted by the
partners of the project (Pôle Métropolitain Pour L’entrepreneuriat
Le Carburateur, Igor Vitale International Srl, Balkan International
Academy, Rivensco Consulting Ltd, Association for Education
and Development of Disabled People, EUROASIA Innovative
Society Association, Asociatia De Dezvoltare Intercomunitară
Harghita, University of Gastronomic Sciences), under the scientific
coordination of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
www.gastrotourism.eu 9
The book is divided in three parts that guide the reader in
understanding better the characteristics of the project (Part I), in
exploring the results of the research (Part II) and acquiring the
tools needed to replicate the research (Part III).
Specifically, Chapter 1 introduces the European project and its
aims and goals. Chapter 2 presents the partnership. Chapter 3
presents the research and its methodology. Chapter 4 explores the
common needs of rural tourism in Europe with specific attention
to education. Chapter 6 discusses the results highlighting the
suggested areas of educational intervention. Chapter 7 presents
the contents of the theorical and methodological toolkit of which
tools are illustrated in the following chapters (from 8 to 11). The
volume is concluded by the bibliography.
The present book is edited by Michele F. Fontefrancesco and
includes materials from all the partners. The authors of the
individual chapters are indicated in the opening of each one, while
the descriptions of areas as well as the summary of the individual
focus group discussion has been provided by the partners operating
in each location.
All the partners want to thank the organizations that supported
the field research and all the participants to the discussions that
allowed the completion of the research
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