Sviluppo, ambiente, territorio: il metodo produttivo biologico

The first aim of this study is to identify the economic, social, technical and institutional elements that favoured the development of organic agriculture in Italy and to verify the requirements for future growth of this productive sector. The second aim of the study is to underline the importance of organic production within the policy of rural development, with particular attention to marginal areas. The third aim is the description of economic and environmental data related to the organic method. Data derive form the analysis of representative farms and reveal the effects of organic production on income, employment, environment and on the development of other activities in the territory. Therefore, the paper is divided into three parts. In the first part, the dynamic process of the development is briefly described; in the second part, the structural elements of organic production are pointed out and their role in the development of the territory is discussed; in the third part the economic, environmental, technical and structural results of organic farms are analysed in Tuscan areas with different rural development typologies