PHASE 0. TRIGGERING FACTORS

PHASE 0. TRIGGERING FACTORS

Insights from the case study

The strategy stems from the convergence of following factors:  Strong political leadership and commitment to counteract the phenomena of depopulation and abandonment of mountain municipalities by their citizens;  Close relations among key players in the production, social and cooperative system at local level;  Active presence of Consorzio Stabile CAIRE, which has been working in the mountainous area of the Emilian Apennines by supporting and advising the planning activities of local authorities with particular attention to the issues of strategic planning and territorial innovation;  Selection of the territory as the first pilot “project area” in Emilia-Romagna Region to implement the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI), which was perceived by the territory as an opportunity to revitalize the area in both economic and social terms. Within this scenario, the price crisis of Parmigiano Reggiano represented the main triggering factor. Parmigiano Reggiano is a typical product with a high added value, with a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) label and a unique market organisation that produces a value of 3 billion euros per year. Although it is a typical food product, it has a commodity marketing, with huge price variations. When the idea of the strategy for the Emilian Apennines was first conceived, the price of Parmigiano Reggiano was so low that it did not remunerate production costs, which in the mountainous areas of the Emilian Apennines are higher than in the lowlands. This situation led to the idea of further differentiating the Parmigiano Reggiano of the Emilian Apennines, developing the Mountain Product certification, with the aim of securing a higher market price at national and international levelcapable of remunerating the higher production costs. A new vision and development path for the whole community was thus identified around this pivotal element for the local economy and society.  Which are the main problems of the target area in terms of production systems and public services to citizens?

 Are there typical products with high added value that have a significant impact on the local economy and community? What is the market trend of these products?

 What relations exist between the key players at local level? Is there willingness to collaborate?

 Is there a common vision among key political and economic actors at local level to actively engage in fostering a sustainable structural change of the local society?

 Are there any initiatives at local, national or international level from which to draw experiences and resources in order to elaborate a local development strategy?

Self-assessment questions