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

1970 1982 1990 2000 200710

12

14

16

18

20

MH

A

1970: 17,5 MHa of UAA; 2007: 12,7 MHa of UAA;1970/2007 lost of 27% of cultivable area

Source ISTAT

Decrease in UAA by typology of farm size

1990 2007dimension ha ha ha % 1 to 2 1.246.160 773.124 -473.036 -38%2 to 5 1.893.410 1.247.528 -645.882 -34% 5 to 10 1.967.540 1.407.878 -559.662 -28%10 to 20 2.129.790 1.701.083 -428.707 -20% 20 to 50 2.637.390 2.598.736 -38.654 -1% 50 to 100 1.686.010 1.839.116 153.106 9%100 and more 3.386.430 3.176.730 -209.700 -6%total 14.946.730 12.744.195 -2.202.535 -15%

change 2007/1990

• 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.

Source ISTAT

Source INEA

Cost of land per Ha 2008

Who buy land in Italy?Gli acquirenti della terra

58%17%

18%

7%

Farmers for agriculturepurpouse

Enterpreneurs extra- agricultureto implement agricultureactivities Enterpreneurs extra- agricultureas an asset

Citizenship as an asset

• The problem of pressure over land originated by non-agricultural 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.

Source: direct survey COLDIRETTI 2009

Land rent in Italy

1990 2000 2007

Only ownership 2.313.662 1.829.966 1.408.028Only rent 93.814 93.062 80.726Ownership & rent 250.192 227.220 189.012Total 2.657.668 2.150.248 1.677.766

Only ownership 10.352.652 8.214.505 7.535.876Only rent 887.113 1.081.681 1.384.171Ownership & rent 3.706.828 3.766.071 3.824.149

- ownership 1.920.735 1.793.630 1.638.069 - rented 1.786.093 1.972.441 2.186.080

Total 14.946.593 13.062.257 12.744.196

Only ownership 4,5 4,5 5,4Only rent 9,5 11,6 17,1Ownership & rent 14,8 16,6 20,2Total 5,6 6,1 7,6UUA rented 2.673.206 3.054.122 3.570.251 % on total UUA 18% 23% 28%

N° of enterprises

UUA in Ha

Average UUA in Ha

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 %

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 Restauranthttp://www.agricolturanuova.it

Case studies 1:the management of public land Cooperative Agricoltura Nuova

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 studies 2 collective management of

communal land

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:Access to land in Italy: conclusionsconclusions

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