Case Study Report (WP2 Findings) – Italy WP2 – Case Studies on Soil/Land Management and Policy Measures
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SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND SOIL CONSERVATION (SoCo Project) Case Study Report (WP2 findings) – Italy WP2 – Case studies on soil/land management and policy measures 2008 September 2008 Case study Italy Prepared by: Ezio Rusco, Brechje Maréchal European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit Mauro Tiberi, Cristina Bernacconi, Giovanni Ciabocco, Paolo Ricci, Enrico Spurio Food and Agriculture Agency for the Marche region - Soil Service 1 September 2008 Case study Italy Table of content Executive summary................................................................................................................11 1 Natural characteristics of the Marche region...................................................................13 1.1 Climate ...................................................................................................................13 1.2 Morphology.............................................................................................................13 1.3 Soils........................................................................................................................16 1.4 Land use.................................................................................................................18 2 Methodology....................................................................................................................19 2.1 Objectives...............................................................................................................19 2.2 Definitions...............................................................................................................19 2.2.1 Rural area...........................................................................................................19 2.2.2 Concept of “sustainable agriculture” and evaluation methods............................19 2.2.3 The definition of rural development ....................................................................20 2.2.4 The definition of land and soil.............................................................................22 2.2.5 The definition of a management system.............................................................22 2.2.6 Agrarian management systems ..........................................................................23 2.3 Materials and methods ...........................................................................................24 2.3.1 Materials used ....................................................................................................24 2.3.2 Methods..............................................................................................................24 3 Main soil degradation problems ......................................................................................25 4 Agricultural practices and soil conservation ....................................................................28 4.1 Rural character of Marche ......................................................................................28 4.1.1 Definition of “rural area” of Marche .....................................................................28 4.1.2 Socio-economic aspects.....................................................................................30 4.2 Management Systems............................................................................................37 4.2.1 Historical Management Systems in Marche region ............................................37 4.2.2 Homogeneous areas in relation to the development of Management Systems adapted to the conditions in the Marche region..................................................43 4.2.3 Homogeneous areas ..........................................................................................44 4.2.4 Definition of Management Systems ....................................................................46 4.2.5 The Management Systems of the Marche after the Fischler Reform (2003)......51 5 Assessment of the environmental sustainability of management systems in the Marche52 5.1 High Mountains (HM)..............................................................................................53 5.1.1 Implemented management systems and conservation practices .......................53 5.1.2 Integrated assessment of conservation practices...............................................55 5.1.3 Sustainable agriculture: development opportunities ...........................................57 2 September 2008 Case study Italy 5.2 Medium High Hills (MHH) .......................................................................................58 5.2.1 Implemented management systems and conservation practices .......................58 5.2.2 Integrated assessment of the conservation practices.........................................60 5.2.3 Sustainable agriculture: development opportunities ...........................................63 5.3 Low Hills (LH) .........................................................................................................65 5.3.1 Implemented management systems and conservation practices .......................65 5.3.2 Integrated assessment of the soil conservation practices ..................................71 5.3.3 Suggestions and development prospects towards a sustainable agriculture .....76 5.4 Internal Alluvial Plain (AP) ......................................................................................77 5.4.1 Implemented management systems and conservation practices .......................77 5.4.2 Integrated assessment of the soil conservation practices ..................................79 5.4.3 Suggestions and development prospects towards a sustainable agriculture .....81 5.5 Coastal alluvial Plain ..............................................................................................83 5.5.1 Implemented management systems and conservation practices .......................83 5.5.2 Integrated assessment of the soil conservation practices ..................................89 5.5.3 Suggestions and development prospects towards a sustainable agriculture .....91 5.5.4 Conclusions and suggestions for new rural development policies .....................93 5.6 Assessment of soil related Policies applied in Marche region................................93 5.6.1 Cross compliance application (1st pillar of CAP Fischler reform)........................93 5.6.2 Agri-environmental measures of Rural Development Plan 2000-2006 (2nd pillar of CAP) ...................................................................................................................95 5.6.3 Rules for production of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) ..........99 5.6.4 Less Favoured Areas (LFA)..............................................................................100 5.7 Successful and unsuccessful practices in relation to the Management System...101 6 Soil and all the actors of the food system .....................................................................102 6.1 The actors in the agricultural production ..............................................................102 6.1.1 Agricultural companies and their associations..................................................102 6.1.2 Factors influencing the farmers choices ...........................................................104 6.2 Institutes and policy makers involved in the land planning and the use of policies105 6.3 Organisational structure of the regional council....................................................107 6.4 Leader+ Area........................................................................................................108 6.4.1 Features of local action groups.........................................................................108 6.4.2 Making aware and involvement activities of the socioeconomic actors............108 6.5 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................109 3 September 2008 Case study Italy 7 Policies for soil conservation.........................................................................................109 7.1 Existing policies and their classification................................................................109 7.2 Description, analysis, and evaluation of policy measures ....................................112 7.2.1 Fiche 1: Good agricultural and Environmental Condition, Cross Compliance ..112 7.2.2 Fiche 2: Nitrate Directive ..................................................................................116 7.2.3 Fiche 3: RDP 200-2006 of Marche region – Axis II “Protection and valorisation of the landscape and of Environmental resources” (organic farming/integrated farming).............................................................................................................118 8 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................121 9 References....................................................................................................................123 10 Annexes ........................................................................................................................124 List of tables Table 1.1:Climatic data Marche region...................................................................................13 Table 1.2: Relief distribution in the Marche ............................................................................14