Sviluppo, ambiente, territorio: il metodo produttivo biologico

The first aim of this study is to identify the economic, social, technical and institutional elements that favoured the development of organic agriculture in Italy and to verify the requirements for future growth of this productive sector. The second aim of the study is to underline the importance of organic production within the policy of rural development, with particular attention to marginal areas. The third aim is the description of economic and environmental data related to the organic method. Data derive form the analysis of representative farms and reveal the effects of organic production on income, employment, environment and on the development of other activities in the territory. Therefore, the paper is divided into three parts. In the first part, the dynamic process of the development is briefly described; in the second part, the structural elements of organic production are pointed out and their role in the development of the territory is discussed; in the third part the economic, environmental, technical and structural results of organic farms are analysed in Tuscan areas with different rural development typologies

La ristrutturazione viticola toscana in applicazione al reg. (CE) 1493/99

Viticulture is experiencing a phase of great transformations; the sector is changing according to the evolution of the market as well as to the preferences and the income of the consumers. Indeed, consumers are tending to reduce their consumptions of wine as food stuff, while increasing their consumptions of wine as luxury stuff. The research work wants to assess the effects of the EC Regulation 1493/99 (II heading) on the structure of the wine sector in the more significant wine areas of Tuscany. Particular attention has been paid to the impact of the restructuring and reconversion regime on grape production costs and on wine quality

Association of the scuttle fly Megaselia leucozona Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae) with sweat bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), with a description of the male fly

Megaselia leucozona Schmitz (Diptera, Phoridae) is reported from nests of Lasioglossum malachurum Kirby and Halictus scabiosae (Rossi) in Central Italy. The flies patrolled two nesting sites of the hosts and sometimes mated close to their nest entrances before entering. Observations agree with the general behaviour reported for other Megaselia species associated with fossorial bees and wasps. The hitherto unknownmale of M. leucozona is described, and the original description of a female is augmented and modified. This is the first report of a scuttle fly associated with nests of Halictidae in the Palaearctic Region