Territorial Sustainability and Multifunctional Agriculture: A Case Study☆

Abstract The multifunctional agriculture can be defined as the mechanism of the integrated development and a tool for giving value to the territorial potential in the agricultural activities, which are determinant for the rural sustainability. Under the light of these considerations and given the next 2014-2020 programming periods, it becomes interesting thinking on the effect of the multifunctional agriculture in the realization of sustainable territorial development. Taking into account all of this, the present work, after having underlined short reflections on the relationships between the concept of sustainability and multifunctionality, proposes a case study on a territorial rural system finalized to evaluating the coherence between the policies' orientation of RDP and the evolution paths of the firms

Marketing Strategies of Large Agricultural Holdings and Social Commerce: the Case of Terra Orti PO

Abstract. Generally, the advantages of short food supply chains are associated only to small agricultural holdings and/or farms with a limited production output, but not to larger agricultural holdings. These considerations are limited. For larger producers these forms of marketing could transform from being a mere instrument of commercial diversification into a promotion instrument that makes it possible to translate the acknowledged or desired values in products in the short supply chain to the entire commercial output. The paper, following analysis of the characteristics of e-commerce in agribusiness, proposes the experiences of the Terra Orti Producers Organisation in implementing social commerce for promoting fruit and vegetable products from the "Piana del Sele" territory

Associations between depressive symptoms and disease progression in older patients with chronic kidney disease: results of the EQUAL study

Background Depressive symptoms are associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with end-stage kidney disease; however, few small studies have examined this association in patients with earlier phases of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We studied associations between baseline depressive symptoms and clinical outcomes in older patients with advanced CKD and examined whether these associations differed depending on sex. Methods CKD patients (>= 65 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate <= 20 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) were included from a European multicentre prospective cohort between 2012 and 2019. Depressive symptoms were measured by the five-item Mental Health Inventory (cut-off <= 70; 0-100 scale). Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to study associations between depressive symptoms and time to dialysis initiation, all-cause mortality and these outcomes combined. A joint model was used to study the association between depressive symptoms and kidney function over time. Analyses were adjusted for potential baseline confounders. Results Overall kidney function decline in 1326 patients was -0.12 mL/min/1.73 m(2)/month. A total of 515 patients showed depressive symptoms. No significant association was found between depressive symptoms and kidney function over time (P = 0.08). Unlike women, men with depressive symptoms had an increased mortality rate compared with those without symptoms [adjusted hazard ratio 1.41 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.93)]. Depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with a higher hazard of dialysis initiation, or with the combined outcome (i.e. dialysis initiation and all-cause mortality). Conclusions There was no significant association between depressive symptoms at baseline and decline in kidney function over time in older patients with advanced CKD. Depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with a higher mortality rate in men

La filiera vitivinicola campana tra mercato e società: una strategia di valorizzazione responsabile

The current global crisis at economic and social level pushes to a reinterpretation in a perspective of sustainability of development strategies in the wine sector. In such context, a new vision of enterprise is originated, testifying the passage of its orientation, before, from product to market and then, from consumer to society. In this perspective, corporate responsibility in the wine sector becomes the centre of gravity for the definition of the processes of value creation in the territorial systems, or rather, the critical variable of the value chain of the territories that shows the innovatory role of the wine enterprises, especially, in their valorization strategies. Based on these considerations, this study aims to define a theoretical framework on the determinants of a responsible valorization strategy, like real expression of interrelations existing among wine, territory and society. Moreover, the study aims to experiment, in a territorial system of the Campania region with a traditional vocation to the winegrowing, the significance of a responsible valorization strategy, providing for policy maker and stakeholder a few useful remarks to sustain the development of the wine sector in a perspective of sustainability.

Climate change, rural systems and innovation: the role of Internet

Climate change can compromise the development of the territorial systems with rural vocation. Nevertheless, these last can influence, both positively than negatively, the factors that determine climate change. Starting from this dichotomous vision of the relationship between climate change and rural development, this study focuses on the role that Internet and the web marketing strategies can develop in the mitigation and in the adaptation to climate change trough the spread of information on virtuous behaviour by individuals and firms. In such optics, the study, looking over agritourism as multifunctional farm with an orientation to sustainability, provides a survey to evaluate the diffusion of Internet in the Campania Region and the propensity of firms to use the web in order to promote responsible behaviour among the users of websites (suggesting virtuous behaviours) or to valorize their commitment in the fight against climate change

Expo2015 and the fight against climate change: possible compatibility and strategies

xpo 2015 intends to assert the universal value of the Right to Food. In addition, the event also wanted to emphasize the strong link that exists between nutrition and climate change. This paper emphasizes the need for a possible compatibility between nutrition and fighting climate change, this through a radical change in behavioural patterns of the various stakeholders, aimed towards objectives of mitigation, adaptation, and resilience

Predicting Kidney Failure, Cardiovascular Disease and Death in Advanced CKD Patients

Introduction: Predicting the timing and occurrence of kidney replacement therapy (KRT), cardiovascular events, and death among patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is clinically useful and relevant. We aimed to externally validate a recently developed CKD G4+ risk calculator for these outcomes and to assess its potential clinical impact in guiding vascular access placement. Methods: We included 1517 patients from the European Quality (EQUAL) study, a European multicentre prospective cohort study of nephrology-referred advanced CKD patients aged ≥65 years. Model performance was assessed based on discrimination and calibration. Potential clinical utility for timing of referral for vascular access placement was studied with diagnostic measures and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The model showed a good discrimination for KRT and “death after KRT,” with 2-year concordance (C) statistics of 0.74 and 0.76, respectively. Discrimination for cardiovascular events (2-year C-statistic: 0.70) and overall death (2-year C-statistic: 0.61) was poorer. Calibration was fairly accurate. Decision curves illustrated that using the model to guide vascular access referral would generally lead to less unused arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) than following estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) thresholds. Conclusion: This study shows moderate to good predictive performance of the model in an older cohort of nephrology-referred patients with advanced CKD. Using the model to guide referral for vascular access placement has potential in combating unnecessary vascular surgeries