Over the last few years, there has been a growing concern among academics and practitioners about the slow pace in which sustainability transformations unfold. While most socio-technical transformations tend to happen over extended periods, research shows that unless some dramatic changes are introduced, we are risking damaging the critical earth systems that sustain human life. In this context, understanding why and how transformations happen at a much faster pace in certain places than in others is of crucial importance. This paper investigates the rapid transformation of Panzano, from traditional wine production to organically produced wine. Using a combination of document analysis, participant observation, and face to face interviews in Panzano in 2019, this article examines the role of the territorially embedded innovation ecosystems facilitating this fast transformation. The study looks at place based-structural preconditions and different forms of agency at different stages in the transformation. Our findings illustrate that a place-based agency is paramount for accelerating sustainability transformations.

The aim of this paper is to generate solid and harmonized evidence on the level of agroecological transition of biodistricts, by looking at several characteristics such as a biodiverse environment, inclusive societal and cultural values, sustainable economic development, sound governance systems and organic, regenerative agricultural practices. We analyze the level of agroecological transition of three specific biodistricts in Italy on the territories where they are present: the case studies are in Casentino, Chianti, and Trento. We aim to understand to which extent the members within a biodistrict and, in general, the biodistrict as a community are promoting agroecology. The application of the CAET-TAPE assessment from FAO shows that the biodistricts are performing solidly on agroecological transitions.

This paper studies the factors affecting the decision of farmers to sell their products directly to consumers using micro-data on the entire farm population in Italy. The empirical setting of the analysis reflects a focus on the geographical determinants of farmers’ choices as the model is estimated by adopting a multilevel approach and also including spatially lagged variables. The results support the idea that the diffusion of direct sale is a localized process of social innovation, based on knowledge sharing among actors. Policy design should consider the nature of this process in supporting more sustainable forms of supply chain.