Certified Future

Abstract

The current Tuscan agri-food system is unsustainable. The so-called conventional farming practices are still the most commonly used on both global and local scale. These practices include activities such as intensive farming and the use of chemical phytosanitary products that cause the progressive deployment and contamination of local natural resources. Resources that are strongly needed in the future to sustain the agri-food systems against the threats of climate change. Existing policies for environmental engagement and financial support systems meant to increase the participation of farmers in more sustainable farming practices fail to attract enough participants to contribute substantially to the mitigation of agricultural impact on natural resources.
The research investigates the reasons behind the inefficiency of such tools. Concentrating mainly on the policies that define the juridical nature of food quality certification. Furthermore, through a scenario-based method, the “Maximization”, the full potential for these non-mandatory policies could have on the preservation of local natural resources is evaluated.
The results of the maximization method, together with the analysis, led on environmental threats for the Valdera agri-food system, and the examination of existing policies made it possible to develop a new framework for food quality certificates. A framework capable of combining the strengths and opportunities of existing food quality certifications and simultaneously increasing participation of local agri-businesses and accelerating the shift from conventional to sustainable farming practices and consequently the transition from unsustainable and vulnerable agri-food systems to sustainable and resilient ones.