Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area
Many land use systems in Mediterranean sloping areas risk abandonment because of nonprofitability, while their hydro-geological stability depends on an appropriate management. However, who are the land managers? What are their practices? Our research on the traditional olive groves of the Monte Pisa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-05-01
|
| Series: | Land |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/5/168 |
| _version_ | 1797567240409710592 |
|---|---|
| author | Sabine Gennai-Schott Tiziana Sabbatini Davide Rizzo Elisa Marraccini |
| author_facet | Sabine Gennai-Schott Tiziana Sabbatini Davide Rizzo Elisa Marraccini |
| author_sort | Sabine Gennai-Schott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many land use systems in Mediterranean sloping areas risk abandonment because of nonprofitability, while their hydro-geological stability depends on an appropriate management. However, who are the land managers? What are their practices? Our research on the traditional olive groves of the Monte Pisano (Tuscany, Italy) reveals for the first time the quantitatively important role of hobby farmers as land managers in the area. We used a three-step-method: first, a database was constructed using several data sources to identify and map the population of olive growers; then, 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted, and finally, the data were analyzed to highlight the contribution of olive growers to the land management, along with their motivations and constraints. Our results found that hobby farmers constitute about 90% of all land managers in the study area and manage more than half of the agricultural land. They are a very uneven group, and there are no clear categories detectable by analyzing sociodemographic factors, practices and farm characteristics. They are the “same but different”, not following any market rules, as they are not profit-oriented. Their farming practices are quite homogeneous and mainly in-line with professional farming practices of that area, oriented versus a minimum input management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:39:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a4a22c49c4684cae98c77bdcfb40ba0f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:39:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-a4a22c49c4684cae98c77bdcfb40ba0f2023-11-20T01:24:37ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2020-05-019516810.3390/land9050168Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean AreaSabine Gennai-Schott0Tiziana Sabbatini1Davide Rizzo2Elisa Marraccini3Institute of Life Sciences, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, ItalyInstitute of Life Sciences, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, ItalyInTerACT (UP 2018.C102), UniLaSalle, 60026 Beauvais, FranceInTerACT (UP 2018.C102), UniLaSalle, 60026 Beauvais, FranceMany land use systems in Mediterranean sloping areas risk abandonment because of nonprofitability, while their hydro-geological stability depends on an appropriate management. However, who are the land managers? What are their practices? Our research on the traditional olive groves of the Monte Pisano (Tuscany, Italy) reveals for the first time the quantitatively important role of hobby farmers as land managers in the area. We used a three-step-method: first, a database was constructed using several data sources to identify and map the population of olive growers; then, 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted, and finally, the data were analyzed to highlight the contribution of olive growers to the land management, along with their motivations and constraints. Our results found that hobby farmers constitute about 90% of all land managers in the study area and manage more than half of the agricultural land. They are a very uneven group, and there are no clear categories detectable by analyzing sociodemographic factors, practices and farm characteristics. They are the “same but different”, not following any market rules, as they are not profit-oriented. Their farming practices are quite homogeneous and mainly in-line with professional farming practices of that area, oriented versus a minimum input management.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/5/168hobby farmingolive grovesfarming practicesperi-urbanstewardship |
| spellingShingle | Sabine Gennai-Schott Tiziana Sabbatini Davide Rizzo Elisa Marraccini Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area Land hobby farming olive groves farming practices peri-urban stewardship |
| title | Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area |
| title_full | Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area |
| title_fullStr | Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area |
| title_full_unstemmed | Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area |
| title_short | Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area |
| title_sort | who remains when professional farmers give up some insights on hobby farming in an olive groves oriented terraced mediterranean area |
| topic | hobby farming olive groves farming practices peri-urban stewardship |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/5/168 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sabinegennaischott whoremainswhenprofessionalfarmersgiveupsomeinsightsonhobbyfarminginanolivegrovesorientedterracedmediterraneanarea AT tizianasabbatini whoremainswhenprofessionalfarmersgiveupsomeinsightsonhobbyfarminginanolivegrovesorientedterracedmediterraneanarea AT daviderizzo whoremainswhenprofessionalfarmersgiveupsomeinsightsonhobbyfarminginanolivegrovesorientedterracedmediterraneanarea AT elisamarraccini whoremainswhenprofessionalfarmersgiveupsomeinsightsonhobbyfarminginanolivegrovesorientedterracedmediterraneanarea |