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Dr. Luca Colombo
FIRAB, The Italian Foundation for Research in Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture, 00187 Rome, Italy

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0 Agroecology
0 organic agriculture
0 Agricultural diversification
0 Co-innovation
0 Agrozooforestry

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Journal article
Published: 24 February 2021 in Sustainability
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The negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have further exposed and exacerbated the structural weaknesses and inequalities embedded in the global industrial agri-food system. While the mainstream narrative continues to emphasise the importance of ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of global supply chains to counter COVID-related disruptions, the pandemic has also highlighted the resilience of small-scale, sustainable family farming and of spatially and socially embedded food systems. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of three surveys, this study examines organic and agroecological farmers’ responses to the first COVID-related lockdown (March–May 2020) in Italy, as well as the responses of grassroots alternative food networks (AFN) in the city region of Rome. The results show how local grassroots action played a significant role in ensuring food access, provisioning, and distribution, often in the face of delayed or insufficient action of mainstream food system actors and institutions. These grassroots responses identify opportunities and barriers for agri-food system transformation away from neoliberal, market-based interventions and towards policies that support food sovereignty and democracy in the context of localised, agroecology-based and more resilient agri-food systems.

ACS Style

Simona Zollet; Luca Colombo; Paola De Meo; Davide Marino; Steven McGreevy; Nora McKeon; Simona Tarra. Towards Territorially Embedded, Equitable and Resilient Food Systems? Insights from Grassroots Responses to COVID-19 in Italy and the City Region of Rome. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2425 .

AMA Style

Simona Zollet, Luca Colombo, Paola De Meo, Davide Marino, Steven McGreevy, Nora McKeon, Simona Tarra. Towards Territorially Embedded, Equitable and Resilient Food Systems? Insights from Grassroots Responses to COVID-19 in Italy and the City Region of Rome. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2425.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Zollet; Luca Colombo; Paola De Meo; Davide Marino; Steven McGreevy; Nora McKeon; Simona Tarra. 2021. "Towards Territorially Embedded, Equitable and Resilient Food Systems? Insights from Grassroots Responses to COVID-19 in Italy and the City Region of Rome." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2425.

Journal article
Published: 12 August 2020 in Agronomy
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The objectives of this paper are to present the dynamic of organic food and farming (OFF) research and innovation, to outline challenges in deploying programs and accessing funding, and to define key actions to foster the development of tailored quality research on organic farming in Italy. The baseline starts from the main outcomes that emerged during the World Café held in the frame of the Salone Internazionale del biologico e del naturale (SANA Expo) in 2018, where the Italian OFF research community met to build a convergence on scope and modus operandi in the research endeavor. These outcomes were examined in the light of the key features of the research and innovation projects funded in Italy in the last 10 years, respectively by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and the regional administrations through the innovation support instruments in the Rural Development Plan programming periods. In the period 2009–2018, 70 research projects for a total funding of 21.081 million € (<0.1% of the value of the sector) were launched, addressing nine different topic areas. Over a similar period (2007–2019), 53 regional innovation projects addressing organic farming were activated for a total budget of 14.299 million € (<10% of the entire available funding). The implementation of interventions in the research and the innovation areas were often scattered in terms of the topics, disciplines, and types of supply chain/network addressed. The relatively high share of multi/interdisciplinary research and innovation projects as well as the acknowledgement of the multi-actor approach as a fundamental step toward co-research and co-innovation were upshots that emerged from our analysis. The outcomes of this study can be used by competent national and the regional authorities to design their future research and innovation policies and interventions.

ACS Style

Stefano Canali; Daniele Antichi; Simona Cristiano; Mariangela Diacono; Valentina Ferrante; Paola Migliorini; Francesco Riva; Alessandra Trinchera; Raffaele Zanoli; Luca Colombo. Levers and Obstacles of Effective Research and Innovation for Organic Food and Farming in Italy. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1181 .

AMA Style

Stefano Canali, Daniele Antichi, Simona Cristiano, Mariangela Diacono, Valentina Ferrante, Paola Migliorini, Francesco Riva, Alessandra Trinchera, Raffaele Zanoli, Luca Colombo. Levers and Obstacles of Effective Research and Innovation for Organic Food and Farming in Italy. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (8):1181.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Canali; Daniele Antichi; Simona Cristiano; Mariangela Diacono; Valentina Ferrante; Paola Migliorini; Francesco Riva; Alessandra Trinchera; Raffaele Zanoli; Luca Colombo. 2020. "Levers and Obstacles of Effective Research and Innovation for Organic Food and Farming in Italy." Agronomy 10, no. 8: 1181.

Journal article
Published: 06 July 2020 in Sustainability
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Crop diversification represents a key lever to support the development of sustainable agri-food systems. Knowledge on trade-offs and carry over effects from different crop diversification strategies is essential to inform agricultural stakeholders of potential costs and benefits. This knowledge is limited by existing data and performance measures predominantly focused on single crops, rather than complete rotations. Moreover, sustainability performance indicators are often used for assessment purposes, rather than supporting stakeholder learning and actions. A new set of 32 indicators was developed to address these needs, and used to evaluate the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the diversified agricultural systems highlighted in the case studies, which are often characterized by data availability constraints. This approach was tested in France, Germany and Italy to determine a critical ex-post diagnosis of the existing systems, and for the assessment of ex-ante innovative scenarios. The results will be used to support these case studies in the identification and design of more sustainable agricultural systems. Although the framework is based on feasible and proxy indicators, the assessment outcomes have allowed local actors to reflect on the effects generated by the implemented crop diversification strategies. Key issues include trade-offs occurring between optimizing economic and environmental performance.

ACS Style

Ileana Iocola; Frédérique Angevin; Christian Bockstaller; Rui Catarino; Michael Curran; Antoine Messéan; Christian Schader; Didier Stilmant; Florence Van Stappen; Paul Vanhove; Hauke Ahnemann; Jérémy Berthomier; Luca Colombo; Giovanni Dara Guccione; Emmanuel Mérot; Massimo Palumbo; Nino Virzì; Stefano Canali. An Actor-Oriented Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to Support a Transition Towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems Based on Crop Diversification. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5434 .

AMA Style

Ileana Iocola, Frédérique Angevin, Christian Bockstaller, Rui Catarino, Michael Curran, Antoine Messéan, Christian Schader, Didier Stilmant, Florence Van Stappen, Paul Vanhove, Hauke Ahnemann, Jérémy Berthomier, Luca Colombo, Giovanni Dara Guccione, Emmanuel Mérot, Massimo Palumbo, Nino Virzì, Stefano Canali. An Actor-Oriented Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to Support a Transition Towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems Based on Crop Diversification. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (13):5434.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ileana Iocola; Frédérique Angevin; Christian Bockstaller; Rui Catarino; Michael Curran; Antoine Messéan; Christian Schader; Didier Stilmant; Florence Van Stappen; Paul Vanhove; Hauke Ahnemann; Jérémy Berthomier; Luca Colombo; Giovanni Dara Guccione; Emmanuel Mérot; Massimo Palumbo; Nino Virzì; Stefano Canali. 2020. "An Actor-Oriented Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to Support a Transition Towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems Based on Crop Diversification." Sustainability 12, no. 13: 5434.

Journal article
Published: 06 May 2016 in Sustainability
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This paper summarizes the main findings of the GLAMUR project which starts with an apparently simple question: is “local” more sustainable than “global”? Sustainability assessment is framed within a post-normal science perspective, advocating the integration of public deliberation and scientific research. The assessment spans 39 local, intermediate and global supply chain case studies across different commodities and countries. Assessment criteria cover environmental, economic, social, health and ethical sustainability dimensions. A closer view of the food system demonstrates a highly dynamic local–global continuum where actors, while adapting to a changing environment, establish multiple relations and animate several chain configurations. The evidence suggests caution when comparing “local” and “global” chains, especially when using the outcomes of the comparison in decision-making. Supply chains are analytical constructs that necessarily—and arbitrarily—are confined by system boundaries, isolating a set of elements from an interconnected whole. Even consolidated approaches, such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), assess only a part of sustainability attributes, and the interpretation may be controversial. Many sustainability attributes are not yet measurable and “hard” methodologies need to be complemented by “soft” methodologies which are at least able to identify critical issues and trade-offs. Aware of these limitations, our research shows that comparing local and global chains, with the necessary caution, can help overcome a priori positions that so far have characterized the debate between “localists” and “globalists”. At firm level, comparison between “local” and “global” chains could be useful to identify best practices, benchmarks, critical points, and errors to avoid. As sustainability is not a status to achieve, but a never-ending process, comparison and deliberation can be the basis of a “reflexive governance” of food chains.

ACS Style

Gianluca Brunori; Francesca Galli; Dominique Barjolle; Rudolf Van Broekhuizen; Luca Colombo; Mario Giampietro; James Kirwan; Tim Lang; Erik Mathijs; Damian Maye; Kees De Roest; Carin Rougoor; Jana Schwarz; Emilia Schmitt; Julie Smith; Zaklina Stojanovic; Talis Tisenkopfs; Jean-Marc Touzard. Are Local Food Chains More Sustainable than Global Food Chains? Considerations for Assessment. Sustainability 2016, 8, 449 .

AMA Style

Gianluca Brunori, Francesca Galli, Dominique Barjolle, Rudolf Van Broekhuizen, Luca Colombo, Mario Giampietro, James Kirwan, Tim Lang, Erik Mathijs, Damian Maye, Kees De Roest, Carin Rougoor, Jana Schwarz, Emilia Schmitt, Julie Smith, Zaklina Stojanovic, Talis Tisenkopfs, Jean-Marc Touzard. Are Local Food Chains More Sustainable than Global Food Chains? Considerations for Assessment. Sustainability. 2016; 8 (5):449.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gianluca Brunori; Francesca Galli; Dominique Barjolle; Rudolf Van Broekhuizen; Luca Colombo; Mario Giampietro; James Kirwan; Tim Lang; Erik Mathijs; Damian Maye; Kees De Roest; Carin Rougoor; Jana Schwarz; Emilia Schmitt; Julie Smith; Zaklina Stojanovic; Talis Tisenkopfs; Jean-Marc Touzard. 2016. "Are Local Food Chains More Sustainable than Global Food Chains? Considerations for Assessment." Sustainability 8, no. 5: 449.