The third Italian RAIN meeting was a success. Stakeholders were enthusiastic about the meeting programme and the knowledge and information they have received. Participants at the meeting demonstrated to strongly believe in developing synergies among them and the feeling of cooperation is growing up with the aim to face the challenges to adopt new land use approach.
The members of the Italian RAIN found the presentations and activities carried out during the meeting very interesting. In the first part they had the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations promoted by Operational Group OLIMPOLLI focused on artificial pollination of olive trees to improve olive fruiting. At the end of the presentation, there was time for a brief dissertation on the extension of Xylella fastidiosa impact in Italian olive groves
After that, an interesting comparison between the artificial pollination and the natural one promoted by bees was presented. A beekeeper highlighted the main technical information on the management of the apiary. The environmental and economic benefits of this practice were highlighted and some technical materials focused on the activity of the beekeeping school were distributed.
In the second part of the meeting a very interesting presentation focused on the sustainable management of a farm producing eggs, nuts, olives and chestnuts was carried out. Many information has been provided to the stakeholders concerning the proper management of poultry in tree plantations: how to build steps from one tree plantation to another, how to set up secure fences, how to facilitate the laying of eggs, how to estimate the productivity cycle of the poultry, how to select the eggs.
The third part of the meeting was dedicated to virtuous examples of cooperation. "The River Contracts", a reality that already exists in the Orvieto district, aimed to promote a better land use management to reduce hydrogeological risk; the Bio-district of “Via Amerina and the Forre” created in the Viterbo area (Lazio region) to promote synergies among different stakeholders, in particular farmers but also consumers, local authorities, etc., and to implement circular economy.
In the afternoon a participative exercise with stakeholders was carried out by mean a semi-quantitative survey aimed to build a Fuzzy-logic Cognitive Map.