Region

Udine is a province in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in north-east Italy. It is a small and diverse area in which the agricultural sector is very advanced for certain sectors (viticulture), while other sectors (notably arable) suffer from structural limitations and a lack of organised processing facilities.

Due to the limited number of young farmers, the region tends to have a conservative mindset that influences the development of local farm businesses. The typical farm is small to medium scale with around 10 hectares, although larger and more innovative farms are increasingly common. Interest in social innovation and new forms of marketing is therefore growing.

Study focus

The study focused on experiences of bottom-up initiatives for the management of common land in Udine. These have arisen from the local communities’ desire for more sustainable farming practices and are based upon small family farms and hobby farms. This dimension makes it easier, or at least less risky, to become economically sustainable. The initiatives for the management of common land in Udine are all locally-based with a low carbon footprint and reduced waste production. They create a sense that small local actions count in response to the huge problems of climate change and environmental protection.

However, these initiatives are poorly understood and have received little support within the standard advisory system. The lack of expertise amongst AKIS actors has motivated the development of additional initiatives, groups and networks to support innovation in the management of common land. DES (Distretto di Economia Solidale) “Pan e Farine dal Friûl di Mieç” is a community cooperative in Friuli Venezia Giulia region. It aims to manage common land, improve the use of natural resources and suggest examples of innovative and sustainable new value chains for local products.

In 2016, DES launched a “wheat-flour-bread” initiative with common land managers, part-time farmers and hobby farmers, a flour mill business, bakeries and local citizens. Participants implemented a combination of several innovations: a) organic management of farmland, b) use of best-adapted varieties of wheat, and c) crop diversification. To implement the innovations, the participants needed constant advisory support. The experience of DES highlighted that the best results were achieved through direct one-to-one contact between a farmer and an advisor, plus workshops where advisors bring information and stimulate sharing. Online tools, remote meetings, or newsletters did not achieve the desired impact.

The ongoing support of advisors is still needed, but it is not feasible to be financed by the “wheat-flour-bread” value chain. Financial assistance is needed from the Rural Development Plan or other project funds.

The full report (in English) is here

Partner and responsible person contact

VINIDEA SRL

Davide Zimolo, info@des-mediofriuli.it

Lessons learned

1. In regions such as Friuli Venezia Giulia, many diverse approaches to managing common still exist, either directly involving common lands or gathering farmers that manage a food supply chain together. These are a positive starting point for developing local sustainable food projects and are beginning to stimulate the development of new expertise and enable new advisory providers.
2. Except for agronomic support for crop production, there is a lack of advice for most agricultural sectors in the region. This information gap is mainly filled by peer-to-peer advice or the formation of informal or formal farmer groups. In some cases, the actors in these groups are not linked to agriculture but other economic sectors. It is challenging to get the advisors within traditional entities, such as farmers’ unions and associations, to engage with innovative land management initiatives or the planning of local food supply chains. They do not have the diverse range of technical knowledge and skills needed or the soft skills to manage groups of different actors.
3. EIP-AGRI Operational Groups are gathering actors from different professions and sectors in the region. They are putting the theory of interactive innovation into practice and can be used to develop more innovative solutions for the future management of common land.