?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Report+on+Italian+Research+in+Organic+Food+and+Farming+(2000%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%932005)&rft.creator=Puliga%2C+Serenella&rft.creator=Marzetti%2C+Annamaria&rft.creator=Canali%2C+Stefano&rft.subject=+Policy+environments+and+social+economy&rft.subject=Italy&rft.subject=+Research+communication+and+quality&rft.description=In+Italy+since+the+eighties%2C+the+scientific+community+opened+a+discussion+on+how+to+face+many+agricultural+critical+points%2C+reconsidering+old+but+renewed+approaches+to+make+agriculture+more+environment+and+consumer-friendly.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn+1988+the+first+coordinated+project+on+OF%26F+(Biological+and+integrated+control+of+crop+and+forest+pest+and+disease)+was+financed+by+MIPAF%2C+involving+46+researchunits+(research+centres+and+universities).%0D%0A%0D%0ABut+it+was+only+in+the+last+decade+that+interest+in+organic+farming+really+took+off%2C+when+production+methods+continued+to+develop%2C+along+with+consumers%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99+keen+concern+to+be+supplied+with+more+wholesome%2C+environment-friendly+products.+There+was+a+major+increase+in+the+number+of+producers%2C+and+new+initiatives+got+on+the+way+for+processing+and+marketing+organic+products.%0D%0A%0D%0AItaly+has+become+the+European+country+with+the+largest+cultivated+surface+(954%2C361+ha%2C+including+246%2C318+ha+under+conversion+from+conventional+to+organic+farming%2C+in+2004).+The+total+surface+is+mainly+cultivated+with+forage+crops+and+pastures+(48+%25)%3B+the+rest+is+devoted+to+cereals+(20+%25)%2C+fruit+tree%2C+including+vineyards+and+olive-tree+(18+%25)%2C+vegetables+and+industrial+crops+(4+%25).+These+data+refer+to+land+cultivated+under+provision+of+EC+Regulation+2092%2F91+and+its+modifications.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe+gradual+recognition+of+the+organic+farming+potential+to+create+a+high+added+value+food+market+and+socio-economic+benefits+to+farmers%2C+producing+positive+effects+on+environment%2C+public+health%2C+social+and+rural+development+and+animal+welfare+as+well%2C+has+driven+the+European+Union+and+Italy+to+adopt+specific+legislation+and+promote+research+actions.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe+following+different+European+acts+issued+after+the+Council+Regulation+2091%2F92%2C+have+all+recognized+organic+farming+as+a+strategic+tool+to+realize+a+sustainable+development+of+European+society%3A+the+Council+Regulation+EC+1257%2F1999+supporting+rural+development%3B+the+EU+Commission+Strategy+for+Sustainable+Development+in+2001%2C+the+Sixth+Community+Environment+Action+Programme+in+2002+and%2C+finally%2C+the+mid-term+review+of+the+Common+Agricultural+Policy+in+2003.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe+European+Action+Plan+for+Organic+Food+and+Farming+(OF%26F+Plan)+has+been+issued+in+June+2004%2C+strongly+supported+by+Italy+during+its+EU+chairing+semester+(June-December+2003).+This+document+aims+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cto+assess+the+situation+and+to+lay+down+the+basis+for+policy+development+in+the+coming+years%2C+thereby+providing+an+overall+strategic+vision+for+organic+farming%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s+contribution+to+the+common+agricultural+policy+(CAP)%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D.+The+Commission+recognizes+the+dual+key+role+of+OF%26F+in+food+market+and+land+management+and+the+importance+of+research+on+organic+farming+and+processing+methods+to+exploit+this+potential+(Action+7).+Therefore%2C+an+important+part+of+the+country%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s+policies+aimed+at+developing+the+organic+sector+has+been+addressed+to+strengthen+research+and+training+at+different+levels%2C+adopting+specific+research+programmes+and+farmers+training+to+ensure+the+innovation+transfer+into+agricultural+practice+with+close+cooperation+among+researchers%2C+advisory+services%2C+farmers+and+the+food+production+chain.%0D%0AAs+other+Member+States+and+Regions%2C+Italy+has+adopted+a+national+Action+Plan+on+OF%26F+research+in+2002.+The+Action+Plan+was+devoted+mainly+to+the+development+of+organic+farming%2C+focusing+on+agro-environmental+programmes%2C+market+development%2C+research+and+production+capacity+building.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn+December+2005%2C+a+new+National+Strategic+Plan+on+OF%26F+has+been+approved+which+does+not%0D%0Ainclude+specific+research+priorities%2C+but+is+a+reference+framework+of+actions+to+strengthen+the+whole+OF%26F+production+chain.&rft.publisher=f%C3%83%C2%BCr+Landwirtschaft+und+Ern%C3%83%C2%A4hrung+(BLE)+%2F+Federal+Agency+for+Agriculture+and+Food+BLE%2C+Bonn%2C+Germany&rft.contributor=Lange%2C+Stefan&rft.contributor=Williges%2C+Ute&rft.contributor=Saxena%2C+Shilpi&rft.contributor=Willer%2C+Helga&rft.date=2006&rft.type=Book+chapter&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F8800%2F1%2Fpuliga-etal-2006-italy-research.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F8800%2F2%2Fpuliga-etal-2006-tables.doc&rft.identifier=Puliga%2C+Serenella%3B+Marzetti%2C+Annamaria+and+Canali%2C+Stefano+(2006)+Report+on+Italian+Research+in+Organic+Food+and+Farming+(2000%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%932005).+In%3A+Lange%2C+Stefan%3B+Williges%2C+Ute%3B+Saxena%2C+Shilpi+and+Willer%2C+Helga+(Eds.)+Organic+Food+and+Farming.+Reports+on+organisation+and+conduction+of+research+programmes+in+11+European+countries%2C+f%C3%83%C2%BCr+Landwirtschaft+und+Ern%C3%83%C2%A4hrung+(BLE)+%2F+Federal+Agency+for+Agriculture+and+Food+BLE%2C+Bonn%2C+Germany%2C+chapter+Italy%2C+pp.+144-164.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F8800%2F