Soil, Society, and Supply Chains
Organic Farming and Food Systems in Transition Toward Rural Resilience in the Cilento Bio-District
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67244/jai.bwo-researches.v4i4.a265Keywords:
organic, farming, sustainability, bio-district, Cilento, rural developmentAbstract
Organic farming is widely promoted to improve environmental protection and rural sustainability. In Europe, Bio-Districts connect organic agriculture with territorial governance, cultural heritage, and local development. This review assesses how organic farming contributes to environmental, economic, social, and territorial sustainability in the Cilento Bio-District in southern Italy. We used a structured, literature-based approach to examine peer-reviewed studies, academic books, institutional reports, and policy-oriented publications identified through academic databases and relevant institutional resources. The literature published between 2005 and 2024, supplemented by selected 2025–2026 studies on Bio-District governance and rural vitality, was synthesized thematically across four dimensions: environmental integrity, economic viability, social and territorial sustainability, and institutional governance. The reviewed literature associates organic farming with soil conservation, biodiversity protection, reduced reliance on synthetic inputs, local market development, farmer cooperation, and the preservation of traditional agricultural practices. It also indicates that these outcomes depend on enabling conditions, including territorial coordination, market access, institutional collaboration, and policy support. Challenges reported in the literature include certification and compliance costs, administrative burdens, climate variability, and limitations in market access. The review’s contribution is an integrated analytical perspective that considers these sustainability dimensions together rather than treating them separately. Because this is a secondary-literature assessment, the findings represent a synthesis of published evidence and do not constitute independent field measurements of sustainability outcomes in the Cilento Bio-District. Further empirical and comparative research is needed to assess long-term outcomes and determine which approaches are transferable to other territories.
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