Integration of Abandoned Lands in Sustainable Agriculture: The Case of Terraced Landscape Re-Cultivation in Mediterranean Island Conditions

Hemp cultivation opportunities for marginal lands development

Agricultural diversification and high-quality products deriving from sustainable crops such as hemp can represent a solution to revitalize marginal areas and reverse land abandonment. This study aimed at comparing four different hemp cultivars (Carmagnola Selezionata, "CS"; Futura 75, "FUT"; Felina 32, "FEL"; Secuieni Jubileu, "JUB") to provide information to select the best suited cultivar for cultivation in mountain marginal areas and for specific end-use applications. Hemp cultivars were cultivated in a single experimental field to compare their ecological and agronomic behavior (duration of life cycle phases, plant size and biomass allocation, and plant resource-use strategies). Through metabolomic analysis of both vegetative and reproductive parts of the plants we tested the presence of substances of nutraceutical interest and traced seed nutritional profile. The four cultivars had different ecological and agronomic behavior, and nutritional profile. We found several compounds with potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical values in all parts of the plant (leaves, inflorescences, and stems). JUB resulted the most suitable for seed production while CS showed the highest content of bioactive compounds in flowers and leaves. FUT, showed the best suitability for multi-purpose cultivation, while FEL seemed to be not appropriate for the cultivation in mountain area. The multi-disciplinary approach we adopted was effective in distinguish across hemp cultivars and provided information to farmers for the selection of the best hemp cultivar to select. Hemp had a high potential for cultivation in marginal lands, demonstrating to be an economic resource due to its multi-purpose use and to the possibility to generate high-added values products. Our results could serve as a stimulus for the reintroduction of this culture in the study area and in other similar environments.

Recovery and Resilience of the Inner Areas: Identifying Collective Policy Actions through PROMETHEE II

Inner areas are rural areas with low population density, distant from the main hotspots offering essential welfare services and endowed with significant environmental assets and cultural heritage. In Italy, their development is at the core of the national strategy for inner areas. Specific documents and program agreements were issued for each inner area and summarized the intervention themes and projects to implement. However, when the inner areas are considered within a regional territorial ‘matrix’, further collective policy actions have to be identified, through comparison and in-depth analysis of their features and influence on development. Therefore, this research aims to identify and analyse the development needs and potentialities of the inner areas, for strengthening the national strategy and improving their recovery and resilience through collective policy actions. The Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding (MCDA) method PROMETHEE II was applied as research methodology to four inner areas in Puglia region (southern Italy), using 43 indicators organized into seven thematic dimensions and setting specific parameters. The results enabled to delineate the overall development score of the four inner areas, and the profile of each inner area based on every indicator and dimension. By analysing this profile, key thematic dimensions where to direct collective policy actions were identified, related mainly to contrast with the depopulation by improving specific essential services (e.g., digitalization, health, education) and to foster the development of agriculture, tourism, and cultural heritage. This research can be considered a first step for future broader studies, to guide the process of policy making for the recovery and resilience of European and Italian inner areas with a multi-perspective approach.

Coevolution between Terraced Landscapes and Rural Communities: An Integrated Approach Using Expert-Based Assessment and Evaluation of Winegrowers’ Perceptions (Northwest Piedmont, Italy)

Terraced landscapes are characterized by many features but are also threatened by abandonment, with the loss of the historical landscape and increased hydrogeological risk. In this research, we developed an innovative integrated approach using expert-based assessment and evaluation of winegrowers’ perceptions to investigate the coevolution between terraced landscapes and rural communities. The aims were as follows: (i) to identify the historical landscape elements, (ii) to identify the landscape dynamics, and (iii) to analyze winegrowers’ perceptions about the historical landscape elements and future development prospects. The methodology was applied to a terraced vineyard landscape (545 ha) located in Piedmont (Italy). The expert-based assessment included historical analyses and field surveys. To evaluate winegrowers’ perceptions, an online questionnaire was used to understand their perceptions about the landscape’s historical elements and dynamics. The results suggest that unique historical landscape elements and traditional practices (vine pergolas supported by stone columns) are conserved in the area, but also highlight some dynamics, including new vine-breeding techniques (espaliers) and new land uses (olive groves, meadows, and woodland). Winegrowers (n = 49) recognized as identity elements the same identified as historical by experts. Regarding future prospects, almost all winegrowers preferred the conservation of vineyards and pergolas. The research methodology was able to show the mutual link between terraced landscapes and rural communities in coevolutionary terms and could be replicated in similar contexts. According to the winegrowers’ awareness, future planning strategies will have to support dynamic conservation of the landscape.

A Multitemporal Fragmentation-Based Approach for a Dynamics Analysis of Agricultural Terraced Systems: The Case Study of Costa Viola Landscape (Southern Italy)

Among landscapes, rural landscapes are important because they simultaneously present functional and cultural aspects. Rural landscapes are often created to modify the Earth’s surface according to different human needs and, among these modifying activities, terracing has significant anthropogenic effect. A multitemporal approach that covers a significant time interval is crucial for monitoring the integrity and cultural value of historical rural landscapes. The present research aims to study the fragmentation dynamics detectable in an active agricultural terraced system of historical and cultural relevance over a considerable time interval, by conducting a morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA). We analysed a period of about 60 years, from 1955 to 2014, considering five intermediate years (1976, 1989, 1998, 2008, and 2012) and investigated the dynamics that occurred. We detected a trend of abandonment of agricultural terraces, with a reduction in area from 813.25 ha (in 1955) to 118.79 ha (in 2014). The MSPA results showed a decrease in core areas, the most stable pattern, and an increase in the relative importance of other less stable classes. Moreover, we highlighted two different fragmentation dynamics, i.e., one between 1955 and 1976 and the other between 1998 and 2008.

Caring of the Fringe? Mediterranean Desertification between Peri-Urban Ecology and Socioeconomics

This commentary debates on the role of multiple socioeconomic drivers of fringe land degradation (including, but not limited to, population and social dynamics, economic polarization, and developmental policies), as a novel contribution to the desertification assessment in Southern European metropolitan regions, a recognized hotspot of desertification at the global scale. Expanding rapidly all over the world, metropolitan regions are a geographical space where land degradation drivers and processes assume typical relationships that require further research supporting dedicated policy strategies. To assure a better comprehension of the environmental-economic nexus at the base of land degradation in peri-urban areas, we provided a classification of relevant socioeconomic and territorial dimensions in both macro-scale and micro-scale degradation processes. We also identified the related (contextual) factors that determine an increased risk of desertification in metropolitan regions. Micro-scale factors, such as agricultural prices and off-farm employment, reflect some potential causes of fringe land degradation, with a mostly local and on-site role. Technological change, agricultural prices, and household income influence land vulnerability, but their impact on fringe land degradation was less investigated and supposed to be quite moderate in most cases. Macro-scale factors such as population density, rural poverty, and environmental policies—being extensively studied on a qualitative base—were taken as important drivers of fringe land degradation, although their impact still remains undefined. Regional disparities in land resource distribution, rural poverty, and unsustainable management of environmental resources like soil and water were indirect consequences of land degradation in peri-urban districts. Based on a comparative review of theoretical and empirical findings, strategies mitigating degradation of fringe land and reducing desertification risk in potentially affected metropolitan regions were finally discussed for the Northern Mediterranean basin and generalized to other socioeconomic contexts.

Mediterranean White Lupin Landraces as a Valuable Genetic Reserve for Breeding

Legumes crops are important for sustainable agriculture and global food security. Among them white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), is characterized by exceptional protein content of high nutritional value, competitive to that of soybean (Glycine max) and is well adapted to rainfed agriculture. However, its high seed-quinolizidine alkaloid (QA) content impedes its direct integration to human diet and animal feed. Additionally, its cultivation is not yet intensive, remains confined to local communities and marginal lands in Mediterranean agriculture, while adaptation to local microclimates restrains its cultivation from expanding globally. Hence, modern white lupin breeding aims to exploit genetic resources for the development of "sweet" elite cultivars, resilient to biotic adversities and well adapted for cultivation on a global level. Towards this aim, we evaluated white lupin local landrace germplasm from Greece, since the country is considered a center of white lupin diversity, along with cultivars and breeding lines for comparison. Seed morphological diversity and molecular genetic relationships were investigated. Most of the landraces were distinct from cultivars, indicating the uniqueness of their genetic make-up. The presence of pauper "sweet" marker allele linked to low seed QA content in some varieties was detected in one landrace, two breeding lines, and the cultivars. However, QA content in the examined genotypes did not relate with the marker profile, indicating that the marker's predictive power is limited in this material. Marker alleles for vernalization unresponsiveness were detected in eight landraces and alleles for anthracnose resistance were found in two landraces, pointing to the presence of promising germplasm for utilization in white lupin breeding. The rich lupin local germplasm genetic diversity and the distinct genotypic composition compared to elite cultivars, highlights its potential use as a source of important agronomic traits to support current breeding efforts and assist its integration to modern sustainable agriculture.