Exploring Enabling Resources for Agroecosystem Services Provision. A Case Study on Farmer-Consumer Relations in Tuscany, Italy

Abstract

Conventional agricultural intensification is one of the main causes of environmental degradation across the globe. For this reason, more sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly being sought or rediscovered. Organic agriculture is one of the suggested solutions to make agricultural systems more sustainable and limit the environmental degradation caused by food production. This thesis explores the environmental impact of organic and conventional farms in Tuscany through a farm landscape heterogeneity assessment. The study carries out a comparative Agroecosystem Services estimate of ten small- to medium-scale organic and conventional farms across four provinces in Tuscany, Italy. Looking at enabling resources for farmers, their relationship with customers is explored as a potentially transformative force within food production networks. Understanding farmer and consumer ecological awareness, measured in this study through knowledge of Ecosystem Services, together with farmers’ enabling resources and consumers’ perception of the farms’ work can shed light on crucial interconnections within the food production chain. Acting upon the enhancement of these interconnections could create a more sustainable, agroecological future of food for people and the environment.