A significant amount of fungicides consumed in European agriculture are used in viticulture, despite vineyards only occupying a very limited percentage of the cultivated area. Cultivation of disease-resistant hybrid grape cultivars can reduce vineyard treatments by half, with a significant decrease in climate-altering emissions, farmer costs, occupational injury risks, and excessive soil compression. The objective of this study is to investigate the motives and barriers that winegrowers in South Tyrol, Italy face when considering the conversion to fungus-resistant grape varieties (PIWI) farming. We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews and participant observation with winegrowers to gain insight into their perspectives on the reasons for and challenges in adopting or practicing PIWI viticulture. The paper tests two hypotheses: the environmental commitment and concerns of producers with their personal values and environmental ethics in adopting PIWI varieties and relational and social influences, leading producers towards the consideration of social sustainability. The results present a picture aligned with the existing literature, emphasizing a stronger commitment to environmental sustainability while also considering economic and legislative constraints in the cultivation of a niche wine variety, which still has a limited market presence and distribution.

This opinion paper aims to offer a critical assessment on the prevalence of solutions to the climate change problem that rely on climate finance. The paper briefly recalls the key milestones in the evolution of climate finance and highlights what is referred to as a “climate finance trap,” offering some crucial insights that might help remedy potential systemic distortions and that vehemently demand public action in the domain of climate policy.

This paper deals with transformation processes in an area of Messina where post-earthquake (1908) slums still exist. Over the last few years, the area has undergone important changes, resulting in a new, rather complex neighborhood scenario, but one that has highlighted its importance as an example for the urban regeneration of the whole city. This essay focuses on the participatory processes adopted by an NGO to involve the residents and some of the more vulnerable occupants in a new model for socio-technical change regarding energy and eco-sustainability.

This chapter brings together past research and reflections on the value of GIS approaches to the creative economy field, assessing opportunities and challenges. We conduct a systematic and critical literature review to map the main approaches and contributions to this method in connection with the study of the creative economy (including cultural and creative industries). We then reflect on a small research project mapping the craft economies of a rural mountain valley (Val Gardena, Italy) using GIS data and explore its implications. The literature review, together with our small project's results, highlights the distinctive value of GIS methods along with their challenges and limitations. Finally, we conclude by considering the advantages and opportunities of bringing together GIS with other research methods.