How to promote access to
land for future generations
Italian case studies
Leonardo Gallico
Contents
• Land trend in Italy (access, distribution, ownership)
• Case studies and proposal:
-
management of public land (coop. Agricoltura Nuova)
-
collective management of commons (usi civici)
- access on land expropriated by the state who belonged to
mafia members (“Libera Terra”)
- renting of public land (belonging to Demanio)
• Conclusions
Lost of Utilised Agriculture Area (UAA) in
the last 40 years in Italy
20
18
MHA
16
Source ISTAT
1970:1417,5 MHa of UAA;
2007: 12,7 MHa of UAA;
1970/2007 lost of 27% of cultivable area
12
10
Decrease in UAA by
typology of farm size
dimension
1 to 2
2 to 5
5 to 10
10 to 20
20 to 50
50 to 100
100 and more
total
1990
ha
1.246.160
1.893.410
1.967.540
2.129.790
2.637.390
1.686.010
3.386.430
14.946.730
2007
ha
773.124
1.247.528
1.407.878
1.701.083
2.598.736
1.839.116
3.176.730
12.744.195
change 2007/1990
ha
%
-473.036
-38%
-645.882
-34%
-559.662
-28%
-428.707
-20%
-38.654
-1%
153.106
9%
-209.700
-6%
-2.202.535
-15%
Source ISTAT
• In the last 20 year land mobility has created and increase of land for farmers
between 50 and 100 Ha.
• An important decrease interested the farms below 20 ha, not just in term of
hectares but also in term of number of enterprises.
• Today in Italy 2,4 % of the farms , with more than 50 Ha, cultivate the 40% of
the available land for agriculture purpose
• The 75% of the farms, which are with less than 5 ha, cultivate ONLY the 15%
of the arable land.
Cost of land per Ha 2008
Source INEA
Who buy land in Italy?
Gli acquirenti della terra
Farmers for agriculture
purpouse
7%
18%
58%
17%
Enterpreneurs extra- agriculture
to implement agriculture
activities
Enterpreneurs extra- agriculture
as an asset
Citizenship as an asset
Source: direct survey COLDIRETTI 2009
• The problem of pressure over land originated by nonagricultural users needs a revised legal framework.
•The land market is characterized by a limited activity of sell and
buying. In one year less than 2% of the total area changed
ownership.
Land rent in Italy
Only ownership
Only rent
Ownership & rent
Total
Only ownership
Only rent
Ownership & rent
- ownership
- rented
Total
Only ownership
Only rent
Ownership & rent
Total
UUA rented
% on total UUA
1990
2000
2007
N° of enterprises
2.313.662
1.829.966
1.408.028
93.814
93.062
80.726
250.192
227.220
189.012
2.657.668
2.150.248
1.677.766
UUA in Ha
10.352.652
8.214.505
7.535.876
887.113
1.081.681
1.384.171
3.706.828
3.766.071
3.824.149
1.920.735
1.793.630
1.638.069
1.786.093
1.972.441
2.186.080
14.946.593 13.062.257 12.744.196
Average UUA in Ha
4,5
4,5
5,4
9,5
11,6
17,1
14,8
16,6
20,2
5,6
6,1
7,6
2.673.206
3.054.122
3.570.251
18%
23%
28%
In the last 20 years the
area rented has grown
by 18% reducing the
distance between Italy
and EU.
The total land rented in
Italy is 28% compared
with EU-15 where the
average is 44 %
Case studies 1:
the management of public land
Cooperative Agricoltura Nuova
 It’s a mix public/private area occupied in 1976 by landless and
people who want to create employment in agriculture and
maintain rural activities still vital;
 The farm is located in the peri-urban area of Rome, with an
increasing pressure for real estate investment; the cooperative
contributed to the creation of a regional park of 6.000 ha;
 The cooperative guaranteed the management of more than 320
ha. all rented at public authorities and private sector, giving
employment to 50 people;
http://www.agricolturanuova.it
Case studies 1:
the management of public land
Cooperative Agricoltura Nuova
The farm enterprise model
 Cooperative with more than 50 active members;
 Inclusion of disable workers in daily activities since the ’80s, promoting a
new welfare system in peri-urban area of Rome;
 Access to new market and promotion of direct selling and local market –
Km0 – restaurant;
 Organic agriculture since 1995;
 Opened to the “world” of services which guarantee income and network:
 Hippo therapy
 Educational services with school (more than 10.000
children/year visit the farm)
 Renewable energy (Photovoltaic system has been installed)
 Tourism
 Restaurant
http://www.agricolturanuova.it
Case studies 2
collective management of
communal land
Communal land are traditionally used for forest and pasture, areas
characterized by extensive agricultural activities; they play a key role in rural
marginalized areas (mountains);
In Lazio region there exist 500.000 Ha of communal land (50% of the total UAA
in the region ), they clearly contribute for environmental purposes;
Communal land without fragmentation (private ownership) contribute on the
maintenance of extensive grazing and local races, which are the bases for the
production of traditional food stuff productions registered as PDO and IGP;
Commons today implies none management and abandonment of the land
and less opportunities for rural population in managing natural capital;
There is therefore the problem of “Knowledge management” or sharing of all
competencies needed to address those schemes: lawyer, technicians and
environmental questions;
Case study 3:
Libera Terra
The law 109/96 on the expropriation of goods belonging to “Mafia”, foreseen
that these goods will be assigned to subject who will be able to manage the
asset guarantying a social benefits for local communities.
On this basis since 14 years in Italy, more than 5.500 goods have been
expropriated (houses, land, apartments).
The NGO “Libera Terra” manages now, in 2009, more than 800 Ha, all around
the country particularly in southern Italy troughs 5 cooperatives which gave
employment to 65 people and more 50 seasonal workers.
On these land in 2009 were produced different kind of foods stuff: vegetable,
horticulture, pasta, wine, etc.. Al products are sold trough direct selling
schemes which guarantee more earning for the coops, and support from the
consumers.
Case study 4:
The public land in Italy
( DEMANIO’s land )
“Purpose to increase the supply of land on the market offering public
land” (Minister for agriculture and fisheries Mr. Zaia - July 2009)
• The total amount of state managed area is 935.000 UAA,
subdivided in to:
•
Flat land
1%
(about 10.000 ha)
•
Hills
14%
(about 140.000 ha)
•
Mountain
85%
(about 750.000 ha)
• Still not clear for which kind of beneficiaries and which target
• However the objective of this policy is to increase employment for
young people in rural areas, through and increased offer of public
land.
The objective of this policy is to increase access to land
through an increased offer of public land
•
(creation of employment maybe 5.000 new young farmers)????
Access to land in Italy:
conclusions
for the characteristic of the Italian land market, the mobility of
land, now can be promoted mainly supporting rent agreement ;
 there exists some good practices, as shown, and it’s important
to support those practices trough second Pillar of CAP in the next
future 2013/2020;
 From the other side the total amount of public land (Demanio,
Commons, and land belonged to Mafia) could be a new
opportunity to support the creation of new farmers in rural areas;

Thanks for your attention