La valutazione on-going dei Programmi di Sviluppo Rurale 2007-20131

The on-going evaluation is established as part of Rural Development Programmes 2007-13 (RDPs) and includes the ex-ante, mid-term, ex-post evaluations and all the other activities which the Managing Authorities (MAs) consider useful for improving quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the programme. The Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) provides a comprehensive set of guidance documents on the general principles, tasks and governance of evaluations, measure fiches, common evaluation questions, common indicators and their choice, definition and use. The Italian experience is that, beyond accountability purposes, the on-going evaluation support the continuous learning on the programme implementation and the capacity building of the MAs

La blue economy in Basilicata. Risorse locali per lo sviluppo regionale

Fisheries of coastal and inland aquaculture areas are preparing for a second phase of local development using the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for the 2014-2020 period. Local communities will have new opportunities to address territorial challenges, combining European structural and investment funds (ESIFs) to deal with issues such as added value for local seafood products and aquaculture, for the improvement of the integrated management of coastal areas, support for fishing communities, and fish farmers and manufacturers to become both local drives and beneficiaries of the blue economy. The paper discusses distinctive elements of fisheries, aquaculture regional policy and Lucan processes along the coastal territory

L'esperienza di valutazione dei programmi di sviluppo rurale 2007-2013 in Calabria e Liguria.

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L'esperienza di valutazione dei programmi di sviluppo rurale 2007-2013 in Calabria e Liguria.

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Potential and Complexity of Implementing Financial Instruments in the Framework of Rural Development Policies in Italy—The Friuli Venezia Giulia Revolving Fund

Although in recent years some credit institutions have shown a willingness to support agricultural entrepreneurs, there is still a lack of private financing or co-financing in the agricultural sector. Many farms, in fact, are not able to meet the indicators or to provide the fees required by banks to obtain investment loans. The financial instruments introduced by the European Commission within the Rural Development Programme aim at supporting access to credit for farms to make them more economically viable, competitive, and suited to market requirements. The objective of this paper is to analyze the role played by the financial instruments introduced by the European Union to support and encourage the improvement of farms and, in general, the agriculture, forestry, human capital, and rural development in Italy. The paper explores the topic in detail by presenting a case study of a region that has successfully applied these instruments using a revolving fund with a special background. The quantitative data used in this study are administrative; some information was obtained through a survey. Regional information on the implementation of this fund is examined in terms of both opportunities and limitations to highlight the best practice. The findings suggest that certain conditions are required to develop and implement effective financial instruments: a real and effective collaboration between regional administration, banking institutions, and farms that are willing to grasp the newness; a reasonable period of time (some years); know-how because knowledge and experience are crucial, together with the ability to face complexity both in terms of normative issues and financial engineering instruments themselves. Several implications derive from these findings

Potential and Complexity of Implementing Financial Instruments in the Framework of Rural Development Policies in Italy—The Friuli Venezia Giulia Revolving Fund

Although in recent years some credit institutions have shown a willingness to support agricultural entrepreneurs, there is still a lack of private financing or co-financing in the agricultural sector. Many farms, in fact, are not able to meet the indicators or to provide the fees required by banks to obtain investment loans. The financial instruments introduced by the European Commission within the Rural Development Programme aim at supporting access to credit for farms to make them more economically viable, competitive, and suited to market requirements. The objective of this paper is to analyze the role played by the financial instruments introduced by the European Union to support and encourage the improvement of farms and, in general, the agriculture, forestry, human capital, and rural development in Italy. The paper explores the topic in detail by presenting a case study of a region that has successfully applied these instruments using a revolving fund with a special background. The quantitative data used in this study are administrative; some information was obtained through a survey. Regional information on the implementation of this fund is examined in terms of both opportunities and limitations to highlight the best practice. The findings suggest that certain conditions are required to develop and implement effective financial instruments: a real and effective collaboration between regional administration, banking institutions, and farms that are willing to grasp the newness; a reasonable period of time (some years); know-how because knowledge and experience are crucial, together with the ability to face complexity both in terms of normative issues and financial engineering instruments themselves. Several implications derive from these findings

Investments financing at farm level: A regional assessment using FADN data

This article presents the results of an ex-ante evaluation exercise on the financial instruments adopted under the rural development policy. Using fad n data, during a ten-year time span, the study estimates the investments and their financial covertures made by a sample of farms in the Abruzzo region.The balance sheets of the farms were analysed in order to quantify the investments made by the farms in one year and the related financial coverage. The main results show that the propensity to invest is, on average, of 0.27 and it varies according to the characteristics of the farms; while on average 90% of farm investment value is self-financed. These results provided some interesting policy implications, highlighting either or both, a latent need for farms for external financial funds and/or an ineffective financial management of the business activity

The Evaluation Framework in the New CAP 2023–2027: A Reflection in the Light of Lessons Learned from Rural Development

The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposal includes few improvements compared to previous programming periods which may reinforce future evaluation, but we can also observe elements that may weaken the assessment, with the risk of repeating past failures. The objective of this essay is to analyse the new framework proposed for evaluation in the future CAP and to promote a collective discussion on how to make evaluations more usable, useful and reliable for users and practitioners. The first part of the paper analyses the main elements of evaluation during the different rural development programming cycles. A second part is dedicated to an examination of the current programming period (2014–2020) and the implications of the introduction of the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) and the evaluation plan. In a third part, we critically discuss the proposals for the next programming period and we offer some concluding reflections and two main open questions. From the analyses carried out, many elements emerge to encourage discussion on the role that evaluation has played and can play and the critical points to face. The experiences in rural development policies have introduced important changes in theoretical and implementation terms. In particular, they helped to build evaluation capacity and enabled the involvement of the civil society. However, it is also clear that the European Commission (EC) designed path has often led to an increase in rigidity and orthodoxy towards common frameworks compliance

The Agroecological Approach as a Model for Multifunctional Agriculture and Farming towards the European Green Deal 2030—Some Evidence from the Italian Experience

Agroecology can be considered an approach to farming and food systems which integrates the use of ecological principles and biological cycles methods of the traditional systems to the design and management of sustainable agriculture. Despite some differences mainly due to specific national developments on the topic, today there is a substantial convergence in the belief that the term agroecology reconciles three dimensions: scientific discipline, social movement, cultural practice. Beyond the deep-rooted French experience, at the level of the European Union (EU) there is no clear strategy for agroecological practices and action plans. In the Italian case, a first step forward, especially in terms of initiatives, was taken following the universal exhibition “EXPO 2015 Milan” while with respect to the promotion of agroecological practices, some positive feedback is ascribable to the experience of the Bio-districts. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the model adopted by the Italian multifunctional farms can be considered precursory with respect to the approach that, from a theoretical point of view, identifies agroecology. The Italian system on farms diversification would seem to show it has somehow anticipated the new European Green Deal strategy for the next ten years due to the simultaneous presence of key elements that concern not only agricultural practice but also ethical and social aspects by involving farmers and communities that insist on the territory. Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategies recognize a new and important role for the agriculture and agri-food sectors and to invite farmers to engage consumers’ interest. The study also considers some characteristics of the farmers, such as the level of education and the economic sector in which they were employed before devoting themselves to the agritourism business but also the ability to develop multi-actor and multi-level networks. The analysis of these determinants would allow them to place different professional skills at the service of the primary sector that tend to positively influence the organization and farm performance. At the same time, the farmers’ skills are influenced by different sectors of activity such as participation in research projects or even in local initiatives with public and private actors. This allows the agroecological approach to be put into practice in a conscious (or unconscious) way