Identifying new social enterprise models in the Italian municipalities

This study is the outcome of research into social farming (SF) in Italian municipalities. If SF in different European countries is now at an advanced stage, with social visibility and institutional support, in Italy, it is still in its infancy. However, it is gradually becoming more established and can be utilised as a model for combining the economic and productive dimensions of the agricultural sector with the social and environmental aspects of the territorial context. Based on data gathered from 410 interviews conducted by the Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA) with SF actors that operate in 351 municipalities in Italy, this study examines the role that the environmental, relational, financial, and socio-economic determinants of social enterprises can play in the renovation and development of new models for SF in Italian municipalities. A multivariate analysis with an optimal scaling approach is used. Spatial cluster techniques reveal that the development of different SF paths in Italian municipalities is determined mainly by the principal peculiarities of the enterprises, the climate and the topographical characteristics of the municipality. The types of networks connecting key territorial actors, the activities offered and the services provided are also influential. Decision-makers can benefit from these findings and encourage the establishment of SF to improve the sustainability of the Italian agricultural sector from economic, social, and environmental perspectives.