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Geographical Analysis of Agro-Environmental Measures for Reduction of Chemical Inputs in Tuscany

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Abstract

The agro-environmental policies included in rural development plans are getting increasing importance in European Community strategies. These policies represent the meeting point between demand and supply of positive externalities. The difficulty of assessing real environmental efficiency is one of the elements characterizing agro-environmental measures. This difficulty is related to the identification of suitable parameters for evaluating farms according to their impact on the territory. This impact is mainly related both to chemical inputs and to the territorial characteristics of the farm. Different types of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are currently used in production processes; however, the analysis has focused only on nitrates, as they represent the most critical types of chemicals related to soil pollution. A case study is provided by analysis of agro-environmental measures in Tuscany for the reduction of nitrates in organic and integrated farms. Using spatial multicriteria analysis, integrated and organic farms were classified according to their geographical locations and their release of nitrates into the soil. This classification permits the highlighting of farms that make the greatest economic efforts to reduce pollution and therefore it could determine environmental benefits. Considering that the trend of policy strategies is toward a reduction of monetary resources, the classification could help decision makers choose the right allocation of future resources.

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Notes

  1. Number based on the activated agro-environmental contracts.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to the anonymous reviewers and the Editors John Carranza and Mauro Viccaro for their relevant comments and constructive suggestions that helped us improve the overall quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Systems, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    F. Riccioli, L. Casini, E. Marone & R. Fratini

  2. ARTEA – Agenzia Regionale Toscana per le Erogazioni in Agricoltura, Florence, Italy

    E. Gabbrielli

  3. Faculty of Architecture Art and Design, Notre Dame University – Louaize, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

    J. P. El Asmar

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  1. F. Riccioli
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Riccioli, F., Gabbrielli, E., Casini, L. et al. Geographical Analysis of Agro-Environmental Measures for Reduction of Chemical Inputs in Tuscany. Nat Resour Res 28 (Suppl 1), 93–110 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-018-9398-z

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