Reference Regions

Reference Regions » Central Apennines (Italy)

Central Apennines (Italy)

Description of the Reference Region

The Central Apennines region in Italy comprises a mountainous structure with some valleys close to rivers and streams. In the southernmost part of the Reference Region (RR) there are several natural areas with rich biodiversity. Collemeluccio-Montedimezzo in Alto Molise was declared a UNESCO reserve in 1977.

This RR is characterised by extensive pastures and wooded areas dedicated to livestock farming (cheese and meat) and forestry-related products (wood, honey and truffles). There is also a tradition of craftsmanship linked to iron and steel, food and confectionery.

Selected Value Chain

The selected value chain (VC) is Alto-Molise dairy.

In the Alto-Molise area, milk production on mountain pastures is a traditional activity developed over centuries. It established a sustainable relationship between exploiting natural resources and the human community needs within a specific culture (e.g., the transhumance culture).

The dairy VC in Alto-Molise is an example of how traditional productions can contribute to the persistence of the population. This VC can enable the development of resilience initiatives to contemporary challenges (environmental, financial, etc.). In particular, the research will focus on innovative cheesemaker families that work in the area, understating their production cycle, economic collaboration with breeders, innovations introduced in the context, marketing strategies and connections with other VCs and socio-ecological systems.

Multi-Actor Platform (MAP) members

The Multi-Actor Platform gathers 24 actors: 7 public authorities/policy-makers, 9 producers (e.g., farmers, livestock farmers, forest managers), 3 NGOs, 1 innovation broker/advisor, 1 business actor (agricultural) and 1 civil society representative.