The 22 Sicilian territorial areas dealing with rural development policies through the Leader approach.
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TOPIARIUS • Landscape studies / Studia krajobrazowe • 5
1
Giuseppe Sigismondo Martorana
M. Sc. in Law
Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Catania
e-mail: gsmartorana@yahoo.it
THE ROLE OF LANDSCAPE IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
BASED ON THE COMMUNITY LED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH. THE CASE OF SICILY
Abstract
This paper moves from some recent researches dealing with participatory
local development in Sicily2 based on strategic and partnership choices
carried out by local communities through CLLD (Community Led Local
Development).
This article will analize the role of landscape in SSLTP (“Strategie di
Sviluppo Locale di Tipo partecipativo”)3 as realized by the communities of
the 22 Sicilian territorial areas dealing with rural development policies
through the Leader approach.
Key words: LAGs, CLLD, Multifunctionality, Local development, Landscape,
Rural policies
1
Member of the Technical Committee and Coordinator for the strategic planning of local deve-
lopment area of CeDoc (Centro di Documentazione e Studi sulle Organizzazioni complesse ed
i Sistemi locali).
2
This research, “La Strategia di Sviluppo Locale di Tipo Partecipativo: strategie, ruoli e attori”,
edited by M. La Bella, G.S. Martorana and P. Santoro, has been presented at the XXIX SISP
(Italian Society of Political Science) Conference – Session 10 – Regional Studies and Local Po-
licies, Panel 10.3. “Regional policies for territorial development: evaluation and impact on in-
stitutional innovation”, Urbino, 14-16 September, 2017.
3
Participatory Local Development Strategies.
89G.S. Martorana • The role of landscape in local development strategies based…
Introduction: The role of landscape in rural development policies
Landscape plays a key role in the local development4. This is well represented
by the rural development policies5 expressed through the European planning of the
EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development).
In Italy, a Gruppo di lavoro “Paesaggio” (“Landscape” Working Group) in
support of the National Strategic Plan (Nsp) 2007/2013 was operative since the
2007/2013 European programming period. The role of such a Group was to define
and strengthen the strategic role of landscape in planning for rural development6.
The guidelines on the role of landscape in rural development have been
acknowledged also by the Rural Development Programs (Rdp) adopted by the
Italian Regions. The current planning period (2014/2020) sees landscape as a key
factor of rural development policies in general and, in the specific theme addressed
in this article, of rural development implemented through the Leader approach7.
The multifunctional concept of agriculture has a great impact on the role of
landscape in the rural development8. The idea of multifunctional agriculture is
closely linked to the principle of diversification of the economy in rural areas,
which is one of the pillars of rural development policies.
The principles of multifunctionality and diversification have also had a great
impact on the Italian legal system, through the reform introduced by the Legislative
Decree No. 228 of 18 May 2001, “Orientamento e modernizzazione del settore
4
In general, landscape plays a major role in the European policies. Consider first of all the “Eu-
ropean Landscape Convention”, Florence, 20th October 2000.
5
In Italy, with Decree no. 17070 of 19.11.2012 of the Ministro delle Politiche Agricole Alimen-
tari e Forestali (Minister for Agriculture and Forestry Policies), the Osservatorio Nazionale del
Paesaggio Rurale, delle Pratiche Agricole e Conoscenze Tradizionali (National Observatory for
Rural Landscape, Agricultural Practices and Traditional Knowledge) was created, as the com-
ma 1 of art. 1 reads, «Ai fini della programmazione della politica agricola comune e di un
miglior indirizzo delle misure di sviluppo rurale per la valorizzazione e tutela del paesaggio ru-
rale e delle sue tradizioni agricole nonché del patrimonio agroalimentare espressione di tali ter-
ritori» (For the programming of the common agricultural policy and a better direction of rural
development measures for the promotion/enhancement of the rural landscape and its agricultur-
al traditions and of the agri-food heritage expression of these territories).
6
See the interesting document prepared by the Gruppo di lavoro “Paesaggio: Contributo
tematico alla stesura del Piano Strategico Nazionale, Documento di sintesi, April 2006.
7
The Leader (Liaison Entre Action de Dévelopment Rurale) was born in the early 90’s as
a Community Initiative (Ci). Financed in the early stages through the Global Grant, it marked
the beginning of a new rural development policy based on an integrated and participatory terri-
torial approach.
8
What is meant by multifunctionality is that an economic activity can lead to more joint products
and, by virtue of this, can help to achieve various social goals at the same time. More specifically:
«beyond its primary function of supplying food and fibre, agricultural activity can also shape the
landscape, provide environmental benefits such as land conservation, the sustainable management
of renewable natural resources and the preservation of bio-diversity, and contribute to the socio-
economic viability of many rural areas» (Ocde, 1998). Citated in Ocde (2001) p. 9.
In 1999 the European Community, with Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, introduced quite firm-
ly in the new programming period the policies for sustainable rural development, complement-
ing and accompanying other common agricultural policy (Cap) instruments; Article 2 of the
Regulation clearly states the principle of diversification of agricultural activities in order to de-
velop «complementary or alternative activities».
90TOPIARIUS • Landscape studies / Studia krajobrazowe • 5
agricolo, a norma dell'articolo 7 della legge 5 marzo 2001, n. 57” (Guidance and
modernization of the agricultural sector, in accordance with Article 7 of Law No 57
of 5 March 2001).
This regulatory act has amended art. 2135 of the Civil Code, which defines the
profile of the agricultural entrepreneur9. It is worth noting that the reformulated
article specifically refers to the role of the agricultural entrepreneur in “activities for
the valorisation of the land and of the rural and forest heritage”. This reaffirms the
importance the Italian legal system gives to the landscape for the purpose of
agricultural and rural development.
The Participatory Local Development Strategy (Plds)
of the Local Action Groups in Sicily: thematic areas
The centrality of landscape for the local development in the rural areas is also
highlighted in the programming documents of the Sicilian Region. For the
2014/2020 programming period Sicily, through its Rural Development Program, has
included the funding of Participatory Local Development Strategies10 devised and
implemented by the Local Action Groups (LAGs)11. According to the regional
9
The new Article 2135 of the Italian Civil Code states:
«È imprenditore agricolo chi esercita una delle seguenti attività: coltivazione del fondo,
selvicoltura, allevamento di animali e attività connesse.
Per coltivazione del fondo, per selvicoltura e per allevamento di animali si intendono le attività
dirette alla cura ed allo sviluppo di un ciclo biologico o di una fase necessaria del ciclo stesso,
di carattere vegetale o animale, che utilizzano o possono utilizzare il fondo, il bosco o le acque
dolci, salmastre o marine.
Si intendono comunque connesse le attività, esercitate dal medesimo imprenditore agricolo, dirette
alla manipolazione, conservazione, trasformazione, commercializzazione e valorizzazione che
abbiano ad oggetto prodotti ottenuti prevalentemente dalla coltivazione del fondo o del bosco
o dall’allevamento di animali, nonché le attività dirette alla fornitura di beni o servizi mediante
l’utilizzazione prevalente di attrezzature o risorse dell’azienda normalmente impiegate nell’attività
agricola esercitata, ivi comprese le attività di valorizzazione del territorio e del patrimonio rurale
e forestale, ovvero di ricezione ed ospitalità come definite dalla legge».
(He is an agricultural entrepreneur who carries out one of the following activities: farm-
ing/cultivation of the land, forestry, breeding and related activities.
By farming/cultivation of the land, forestry and breeding we mean the activities aimed at the
care and development of a biological cycle or at a necessary phase of the cycle itself, of vegetal
or animal type, which use or may use the land, the forest or fresh, brackish or salt waters.
Other activities performed by the same agricultural entrepreneur are by all means connected to
the above, namely those aimed to the handling, preservation, processing, marketing and promo-
tion/valorisation of the products obtained mainly from the cultivation of the land, forest or from
livestock, as well as activities directed to the supply of goods or services performed mainly
through the farm’s equipment or resources normally employed in the agricultural activity car-
ried out, including activities for the promotion/valorisation of the land and of the rural and for-
est heritage, or reception and hospitality as defined by law).
10
The Participatory Local Development through the Community Led Local Development (Clld)
is foreseen by Article 32 and subsequent of the Regulation (EU) No 1303 of 2013 (Reg. Cpr)
and Articles 58-64 of the Regulation (UE) No 508 of 2014 (Reg. Feamp). It is one of the inter-
vention tools in support of the integrated planning in the 2014-2020 period.
11
The Local Action Groups (LAGs) are the local organizations responsible for implementing the
rural development policies (Leader). These are organizations based on partnerships between
public and private entities representing the territory. Their modus operandi must be inspired by
91G.S. Martorana • The role of landscape in local development strategies based…
programming, the Participatory Local Development Strategies proposed by the
LAGSs must refer to the following “thematic areas”:
1. Development and innovation of local supply chains and systems (agri-food,
forestry, crafts, manufacturing);
2. Development of the renewable energy supply chain (production and
energy saving);
3. Sustainable tourism;
4. Care and protection of landscape, land use and biodiversity (animal and
vegetable);
5. Enhancement of cultural heritage and artistic heritage linked to the territory;
6. Access to essential public services;
7. Enhancement and management of environmental and natural resources;
8. Social inclusion of specific disadvantaged and/or marginal groups;
9. Legality and social progress in areas of high social exclusion;
10. Networks and smart communities.
According to the conditions for approval and funding of the Participatory Local
Development Strategies, each LAG has been able to choose from a minimum of one
to a maximum of three thematic areas on which to base its own Participatory Local
Development Strategy. None of the 2312 Sicilian LAGs chose only one thematic area,
8 LAGs chose two thematic areas and 15 LAGs chose three thematic areas. This
despite the fact that the Sicilian Region had set a reward score inversely
proportional to the number of themes chosen.
The figure below shows, for each of the six thematic areas chosen by the
Sicilian LAGs, its percentage on the total of choices.
the principles of broad participation of local players in local development programming pro-
cesses. Part of the literature has seen into LAGs a proto-institutional or quasi-institutional na-
ture. They carry out a governance activity of the territory according to a bottom up approach.
See to this effect (2014) R. D’Amico, M. La Bella, G.S. Martorana, et al. (eds. by), Politiche
europee e prove di sviluppo locale in Sicilia – L’esperienza dei Gal come istituzioni di
regolazione, Franco Angeli, Milan.
12
23 Participatory Local Development Strategies have been submitted by as many Local Action
Groups. Following is the list of the 23 Sicilian LAGs for the programming period 2014/2020:
Terre del Nisseno LAG, Le Terre di Aci LAG, Rocca di Cerere LAG, Terra Barocca LAG,
Tirrenico LAG, Mare, Monti e Borghi LAG, Etna Sud LAG, Natiblei LAG, Sicani LAG, Etna
LAG, Kalat LAG, Nebrodi Plus LAG, Elimos LAG, Madonie LAG, Eloro LAG, South-Center
Sicily LAG, Peloritani LAG, Terre Normanne LAG, Golfo di Castellammare LAG, Terre
dell’Etna e dell’Alcantara LAG, Tirreno Eolie LAG, Valle del Belice LAG, Metropoli Est
LAG, Valli del Golfo LAG.
Of the 23 Participatory Local Development Strategies presented, only 22 have been approved
by the Sicilan Region. The application submitted by the Valli del Golfo LAG has been consid-
ered inadmissible for issues related to the minimum number of inhabitants in the eligible area.
For the 2014-2020 programming period, the eligible areas for the Leader approach are: B areas
(Rural areas with intensive agriculture); C areas (Intermediate rural areas); D areas (Rural areas
with overall development problems); the Protected areas of high naturalistic value (inde-
pendently from their location/presence in areas A, B, C, D). Areas of type A (Urban Areas) re-
main excluded. This is an improvement/increase compared to the programming period
2007/2013, where only C and D areas were considered eligible. Following the decision to make
B areas eligible and a reclassification of rural development indexes compared to the previous
period, the eligible area goes from 2.137.378 hectares and 2.754.946 inhabitants (2007/2013) to
2.472.602 hectares and 3.506.730 inhabitants.
92TOPIARIUS • Landscape studies / Studia krajobrazowe • 5
Fig. 1. Thematic areas chosen by the Sicilian LAGs
Source: M. La Bella, G. S. Martorana, P. Santoro, La Strategia di Sviluppo Locale di
Tipo Partecipativo: strategie, ruoli e attori (2017)
The first noticeable thing is that none of the LAGs has chosen the thematic area
4. Care and protection of landscape, land use and biodiversity (animal and
vegetable). Also the thematic areas appearing, although indirectly, more closely
related to the protection and promotion of the landscape do not seem to be among
the Sicilian LAGs’s favorite choices. Indeed, only 4 LAGs have chosen the thematic
area 7. Enhancement and management of environmental and natural resources,
and only 6 LAGs have chosen the thematic area 5. Enhancement of cultural
heritage and artistic heritage linked to the territory.
These results are particularly interesting if we consider that, as the already
mentioned research has revealed (see footnote No 1), the areas affected by rural
development policies in Sicily are very rich in cultural and environmental
attractions. The research has highlighted, in some cases, the asymmetry between the
choices made by the LAGs and the cultural/environmental attractiveness indexes
and the processes organised for their protection/promotion. Such a misalignment
between local context and strategic choices may also derive from the suggestions
triggered by thematic areas perceived as too general and all – encompassing. The
thematic area 3. Sustainable Tourism is certainly among these.
On the basis of the above, the theme of landscape and its centrality in local
development processes in rural areas has not been dealt with direct strategic
choices, not even through the mediation of strategies for the enhancement of
cultural and environmental assets. In fact, the latter appear in ancillary position with
respect to the thematic areas: 1. Development and innovation of local supply chains
and systems (agri-food, forestry, crafts, manufacturing) and 3. Sustainable tourism.
Indeed, as many as 22 out of the 23 LAGs analysed have chosen the thematic area
3, and as many as 20 have chosen the thematic area 1. Development and innovation
of local supply chains and systems (agri-food, forestry, crafts, manufacturing).
As already mentioned, the LAGs could choose more than one thematic area (no
LAG chose just a single thematic area) and it is interesting, in this sense and on the
basis of the considerations so far taken, to represent the various strategic mixes (see
the figures that follow).
93G.S. Martorana • The role of landscape in local development strategies based…
Fig. 2. Mix of two thematic areas
Source: M. La Bella, G. S. Martorana, P. Santoro, La Strategia di Sviluppo Locale di
Tipo Partecipativo: strategie, ruoli e attori (2017)
Fig. 3. Mix of three thematic areas
Source: M. La Bella, G. S. Martorana, P. Santoro, La Strategia di Sviluppo Locale di
Tipo Partecipativo: strategie, ruoli e attori (2017)
In the Sicilian case, the “landscape” asset appears to be marginal within the
Participatory Local Development Strategies for rural development. This raises the
question whether the local communities really do not perceive the landscape and
its role in development as a central element of development itself or if, rather, such
a centrality is understood and interpreted in a different way.
94TOPIARIUS • Landscape studies / Studia krajobrazowe • 5
Rural development without rural landscape?
An answer to the question formulated in the previous paragraph may arise from
the interpretation of the role of landscape in the local development processes
provided by the programming documents themselves.
The Sicily Rural Development Program for 2007/2013 stated that «grandi
potenzialità di sviluppo potrebbero derivare dall’organizzazione di un’offerta
turistica integrata che coniughi la fruizione delle ricchezze naturali e paesistiche
delle aree rurali (comprese quelle delle zone costiere) con le attività agricole
e l’artigianato locale, anche nell’ambito di itinerari culturali tematici ed
enogastronomici»13 (great potential for development could arise from the organization
of an integrated tourist offer that combines the enjoyment of the natural and
landscape assets of rural areas (including coastal areas) with agricultural activities and
local artisanship, also within themed and enogastronomical cultural itineraries”).
The “mediated” and thus “weak” role of rural landscape in local development
processes does not come exclusively from the interpretation of local communities. It
comes also from the vision expressed in the regional, national and, to a certain
extent, also European level policies. We almost have the impression that the idea of
a rural landscape, which is itself a value and, at the same time an autonomous and
well-defined lever of development, is not quite present in any of the policy making
levels. So the landscape, and the rural landscape in particular, becomes
a complement, an added value, a useful ornament especially for the tourism
development policies. The Sicilian Region has paired the word “tourism” with the
comfortable adjective “sustainable”, thus highlighting even more the ancillary role of
the landscape with respect to other thematic areas of local development. Compared
to this vision (and also for its conceptual overcoming), appear interesting the timid
attempts made at local level (see, on the previous paragraph, the mix of thematic
themes) to accompany the almost ubiquitous sustainable tourism with the thematic
area 8. Social inclusion of specific disadvantaged and/or marginal groups.
It must be taken into account that the rural landscape is the result of human
action on natural resources through agricultural, livestock and forestry practices. On
the other hand, rural communities suffer the negative effects of the marginalization14
of their territories. Policies aiming to the improvement of the quality of life of
populations in rural areas, with particular reference to disadvantaged or
marginalized groups, are therefore closely connected with the protection and
valorisation of the landscape. Such policies are largely based on the protective
function that rural populations can perform whenever they are granted the
opportunity to maintain their own settlements in the rural areas.
Landscape and local identity: Park Authorities
There is a clear need to rethink the role of landscape in the local development
policies. The recurring idea of landscape as an “asset” keeps the landscape
resources into the chest of the family jewels, preventing the reading of the local
13
Cited in Ministero delle politiche agricole, alimentari e forestali, 2009, Paesaggio e sviluppo rurale
– Il ruolo del paesaggio all’interno dei Programmi di Sviluppo Rurale 2007-2013, page 24.
14
In the Sicilian case, it is possible to observe the coincidence between rural areas and “Aree
Interne”, with a large presence among the “Internal Areas” of peripheral and ultra-peripheral
areas, scarcely provided with essential services and far from the supply poles of such services.
95G.S. Martorana • The role of landscape in local development strategies based…
development as a dynamic process where the taxonomic distinction between levers,
fulcrums and vectors of force is difficult and sometimes useless. The difficulty of
developing new interpretative models can be derived from an exclusively economic
view of development, in which landscape, culture and the environment become
“objects” and not “subjects” of development.
There is no doubt that the landscape resources are fundamental for the
development of tourism in rural areas, but we must also ask ourselves what value
do they represent, for example, as an identity-making. In the Sicilian case we can
observe that sometimes a few environmental/landscape frameworks have been the
reference for the construction of homogeneous territorial contexts. This refers in
particular to the Park Authorities15. As pointed out in the above-mentioned research,
as many as 10 of the 12 Municipalities part of the Sicani Park belong to the Sicani
LAG; as many as 11 of the 12 Municipalities of the Alcantara River Park belong to
the Etna Region and Alcantara LAG; the other 14 Municipalities of the latter LAG
belong to the Etna Park; all of the 15 Municipalities part of the Madonie Park
belong to the Madonie LAG; as many as 18 of the 24 Municipalities part of the
Nebrodi Park belong to the Nebrodi Plus LAG16.
It can be said that, at least in the cases mentioned above, local communities
have referred – in identifying the territory – to the environmental, cultural and
landscaping values in a broad sense. This is demonstrated by the fact that the Park
Authorities, as institutional entities responsible for the environmental and landscape
protection of the territory, represent the reference frameworks for the construction
of territorial partnerships underlying the Leader approach. However, the LAGs’s
strategic choices in the Participatory Local Development Strategies highlight, in
general, the difficulty of considering the landscape as a central and autonomous
development factor.
15
The Park Authority – established under the Law of the Sicilian Region No. 98 of 6th May 1981
– is a body governed by public law which is subject to control, supervision and protection of
the Regional Department for the territory and environment. Park Authorities are established in
each of the territories, delimited as a park. The Park Authority has park-management functions
on «quelle aree territoriali o marine di vaste dimensioni, che presentano rilevante interesse gen-
erale a motivo delle loro caratteristiche morfologiche, paleontologiche, biologiche ed estetiche,
con particolare riguardo alla flora e alla fauna, per provvedere alla conservazione delle caratter-
istiche stesse ai fini scientifici, culturali, economico-sociale e dell’educazione e ricreazione dei
cittadini» (Sicily Regional Law No. 98/1981, art. 2) (those large-scale territorial or marine are-
as which have a major general interest due to their morphological, palaeontological, biological
and aesthetic features/characteristics, with regard in particular to the flora and fauna, to ensure
the preservation of such characteristics for scientific, cultural, socio-economic purposes and for
the education and recreation of the citizens).
16
Among these LAGs only the Terre dell’Etna e dell’Alcantara LAG has chosen the thematic
area 7. Enhancement and management of environmental and natural resources.
96TOPIARIUS • Landscape studies / Studia krajobrazowe • 5
Conclusions
The Sicilian case is very interesting, especially considering that Sicily, besides
representing a large laboratory for local development policies, started the rural
development experience through the Leader Programmes of EU initiative since their
first edition, at the beginning of the ’90s.
This consideration, which obviously cannot support the isomorphic application
of the considerations discussed here to the generality of the rural development
experiences in Europe, however, stresses out the need to think about new models
of rural development policy in which the role of landscape be free both from its
vassalage to the tourism development policies in particular and from the
perspective of mere protection of the heritage
The policy challenge of the coming years consists in defining the ability of the
landscape to produce, per se, economic development and social capital growth.
References
Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development
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D’Amico R., La Bella M., Martorana G.S., et all. (a cura di) (2014). Politiche europee e prove
di sviluppo locale in Sicilia – L’esperienza dei Gal come istituzioni di regolazione, Franco
Angeli, Milan.
Ministero delle politiche agricole, alimentari e forestali (2009). Paesaggio e sviluppo rurale –
Il ruolo del paesaggio all’interno dei Programmi di Sviluppo Rurale 2007-2013.
La Bella M., Martorana G.S., Santoro P. (2017). La Strategia di Sviluppo Locale di Tipo
Partecipativo: strategie, ruoli e attori, XXIX Convegno SISP (Società Italiana di Scienza
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