Organic Farming Systems and Rural Revitalization in Italy—Current Situation and Way Forward

Abstract

Global sustainability challenges, such as climate change, are creating more consensus around the necessity to transition to sustainable farming methods and localized systems of production and consumption. In the European Union, conversion to organic farming is now seen as crucial to achieve sustainability goals. Italy, in particular, is one of the leading countries in terms of the number of organic farms and farmland, and has recently enacted legislation recognizing ‘organic districts’ as forms of territorial organization focused on organic production. This article provides an overview of recent organic farming developments in Italy, highlighting the implications for Japan. Despite socio-cultural differences, Italy and Japan both have a high percentage of small-scale farms in mountainous and hilly areas. The two countries also face similar challenges, such as the low profitability of conventional small-scale farming, aging farming populations, and farmland abandonment. Unlike Japan, however, Italy has been more successful in adopting organic farming, also thanks to the positioning of organic agriculture as a tool for rural revitalization and the survival of small farms. The conclusions underscore lessons that Japan could draw from Italy’s experience in promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development, especially following the introduction of Japan’s Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems (MIDORI).