Who Remains When Professional Farmers Give up? Some Insights on Hobby Farming in an Olive Groves-Oriented Terraced Mediterranean Area

Sabine Gennai-Schott, Tiziana Sabbatini, Davide Rizzo and Elisa Marraccini
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Sabine Gennai-Schott: Institute of Life Sciences, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Tiziana Sabbatini: Institute of Life Sciences, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Davide Rizzo: InTerACT (UP 2018.C102), UniLaSalle, 60026 Beauvais, France
Elisa Marraccini: InTerACT (UP 2018.C102), UniLaSalle, 60026 Beauvais, France

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: hobby farming; olive groves; farming practices; peri-urban; stewardship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:5:p:168-:d:361716

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