Las redes sociales

area Arable land

Land under permanent crops Permanent grassland and pastures Total Forests and arboricultur e Arable land not used and other land Total area Absolute values Tuscany 519,483 173,329 98,354 791,168 492,513 99,439 1,383,120 Italy 7,260,765 2,438,852 2,470,981 12,170,599 2,149,193 1,142,710 15,462,504 Percent variation 2003/2000 Tuscany -2.4 0 -19.4 -4.4 0.9 4.3 -2 Italy 0.2 4.6 -0.6 0.9 -7.8 0.6 -0.4

Source: Settore statistica Regione Toscana – Elaboration on ISTAT data (2004)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tuscany Italy

Arable land not used and other land. Forests and arboriculture Permanent grassland and pastures Land under permanent crops Arable land

Source: Settore statistica Regione Toscana – Elaboration on ISTAT data (2004)

Figure 4 Land use, Tuscany and Italy, 2003 (percentages)

Most of the area is utilised for arable crops (519,483 ha), despite the fact that this category has experienced a decrease of -2.4% since 2000. Land under permanent grassland and pastures has also decreased by 19.4%. For arable land the decrease is due to the reduced income support under the previous CAP regime, while the decrease in permanent grassland and pastures is linked to the strong contraction in cattle and sheep farms in the Tuscan region. The stability of permanent crops is due to the increase in area of vineyards and nurseries, which compensated for the reduction in horticulture.

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The increase in forestry and arboriculture is due to the application of EU regulations which offer incentives for planting trees geared towards the production of high grade timber on what used to be arable land.

4.2

Results

4.2.1

Trends and developments

Market globalisation, the domination of a single production model and competition from non- European countries are general trends that have global socio-economic as well as environmental repercussions; as such, they are also able to influence many aspects of agricultural production at the national and local level. Among these, the effects on agriculture of EU policies and global trade agreements are particularly important. The change between the old and the new CAP will have important repercussions on the agricultural sector, concomitant with the general change in the pricing system and the costs of products. It is envisaged that there will be a decrease in the number of agricultural enterprises, as many agricultural producers see their guaranteed income from EU support slipping away, thereby making some areas of production uneconomic. In the face of global markets, farmers will need to find more entrepreneurial forms of production by increasing their competitiveness and finding new opportunities on the market. These should be based more on their own abilities and skills rather than on price or other requirements.

Modern agriculture in Italy needs to find new opportunities and an alternative agricultural model within agricultural global markets. Italy in general and Tuscany in particular have been looking for an alternative agricultural model for some time. What some analysts describe as the ‘Tuscan model of agriculture’ entails a strong focus on quality and it characterises products through certification and traceability that guarantee and safeguard quality, giving such products value on the global market. Recent trends in agriculture have therefore reinforced the multifunctional concept in agriculture. The concept of multifunctional agriculture and its pursuit is one of the most important strategic elements that have emerged over the last few years. It is based on a new role that society requires from the agricultural sector, one that goes beyond what has been the primary objective of this sector, i.e. the production of foodstuffs.

Modern agriculture therefore provides new opportunities, especially within the framework of agricultural multifunctionality, environmental protection and associated policies. These can be materialised as territorial and landscape management, the management of environmental characteristics as well as the use of new forms of sustainable energy, such as bio-diesel and ethanol, and the creation of associated production chains.

Tuscany is a particularly important player in this trend, given its leading role in the development of the ‘Tuscan agricultural model’ over the last 10-15 years. This model includes:

ƒ Dynamism of small and medium enterprises;

ƒ Quality production with limited environmental impact compared to intensive production and a higher added value per hectare;

ƒ Integration and relationship with the surrounding area;

ƒ Enterprises active in international markets given the strong tourist influx;

ƒ Generalised awareness of processes linked to the application of rural development policies and the concept of multifunctionality;

ƒ Feminine element emerging strongly within Tuscan entrepreneurship; over the last few years women’s role has been characterised by great flexibility and adaptability, for example, in relation to newly emerging economic factors.

The following section presents the entrepreneurial skills associated with innovative agricultural production, based on the interviews conducted with farmers and stakeholders in the Tuscan region (Brunori, 1998).

4.2.2

Skills

Entrepreneurial skills can be divided into two broad groups: (i) personal attitudes and characteristics, and (ii) skills related to basic farm management, business development and strategic farm planning and management. The interviews in Italy identified additional characteristics, which cannot be categorised as entrepreneurial skills as such but are nevertheless felt to be essential pre-requisites for the development of entrepreneurial capacity, e.g. being young. These are discussed at the end of this section.