The James Hutton Institute
This page is no longer updated. The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute joined forces with SCRI on 1 April 2011 to create The James Hutton Institute.
The James Hutton InstituteThis page is no longer updated. The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute joined forces with SCRI on 1 April 2011 to create The James Hutton Institute.
* Sezione Miglioramento delle Produzioni Animali, ENEA, S.P. Anguillarese
301, 00060 Roma, Italy
** Facoltá di Medicina Veterinaria, Universitá di Camerino,
Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, Italy
ABSTRACT
This paper describes two projects aimed at the development of new entrprises
in less favoured areas of Central Italy. The projects will create integrated
demonstration systems along the whole textile line, implement a quality
and typical-product mark, organise a network of information and training,
and contribute to the recovery of abandoned areas and to rural development.
In the first project Angora goats and Alpacas will be introduced in the
Umbria region. The fibre thus produced will be processed by local small
industrial/craft firms so as to produce first small quantities of high
quality spun, and then typical knitwear and textile. A demonstration centre
will also be established. The second project , carried out in the Marche
region, will consist in the selection of a line of naturally coloured Sopravvissana
sheep (a local breed) by means of crossing with coloured Merinos males
imported from New Zealand. The production of naturally coloured spun and
knitwear will involve local small industrial/craft firms. It is hoped that
the success of these projects will demonstrate the role of similar integrated
systems in adding value to agricultural enterprises and in the recovery
and rural development of European less favoured areas.
INTRODUCTION
The projects described here aim at the development of new enterprises
able to promote the creation of added value in less favoured areas of Central
Italy (Umbria and Marche regions). The hypothesised production system takes
into account the three main phases of the textile line:- production of
fine fibre from Angora goats, Alpacas, and Merinos sheep;- transformation
into finished products;- qualification and commercialisation of finished
products. Such system must be integrated with local agricultural, craft/industrial
and tourist activities while guaranteeing a low environmental impact, and
is expected to promote a sustainable socio-economic development and a recovery
of local textile culture and tradition.
Aims- Creation of an integrated demonstration system along the
whole textile line in a less favoured area by means of the introduction
of Angora goats and Alpacas, and the recovery of endangered local Merinos
breeds.- Implementation of a quality and typical-product mark so as to
create added value and marketing chains alternative to the traditional
systems.- Recovery of abandoned areas and environmental protection by means
of ecologically sustainable production systems.- Rural development, through
the integration of the hypothesised system with extant production enterprises.-
Organisation of a network of information and training aimed at the replication
of similar experiences in different areas.
Implementation- The project described here is divided into two
geographically separatedinterventions.1) Introduction of fine fibre animals
(Angora goat and Alpaca) into marginal areas in Umbria region.2) Production
of naturally coloured sheep fibre from Sopravvissana and derived breeds
in Marche region.
ANGORA AND ALPACA PROJECT IN UMBRIA REGION
Working area - The working area is represented by the Upper Tiber
Valley, situated in the northern most part of the Umbria region, at the
border with Tuscany and Marche, forming part of the rural lands under objective
5b. The demonstration activity will be conducted in the Azienda Agrituristica
Maridiana, Valle del Niccone, Umbertide Municipality (Perugia), located
at400 m a.s.l. and extending over 31 hectares divided into woodlands (9.25ha),
pasture lands (16.45 ha) and olive groves (5.36 ha).
Socio-economics - The area has negative demographic rates. The
low-density populated Municipalities are experiencing substantial depopulation,
with the risk of arriving at demographic marginality. The recent economic
recession has brought about a high average unemployment rate which in certain
areas exceeds 12.50%. Under the socio-demographic aspect the Upper Tiber
Valley can be divided into areas with a rural system reference centre (Citt=FD
diCastello), areas with a rural connective tissue (Umbertide, S. Giustino
and Citerna) and areas with a retarded rural development (Lisciano Niccone,Monte
S.M. Tiberina, Montone and Pietralunga). In these areas many farmers had
to renounce husbandry especially in the cattle raising sector. The number
of sheep and goats instead has slightly increased in that they have in
part replaced cattle, given their adaptability to grazing. Sheep and goats
are raised for milk and meat, but they also offer a limited income due
to the high competition existing with the Eastern countries. The introduction
of high-quality fibre animals could be vertically integrated with the large
presence and tradition of the local textile industry. In fact the Umbrian
textile sector accounts for about 50% of the total industrial production.
The Perugia province alone has about 145 wool factories and 14 spinning
mills. The recent economic recession has affected especially the small
and medium firms which, however, have been able to survive utilising high
quality fibres (mohair, alpaca and cashmere).
Project Scheme- Management of the herd in the Maridiana agritouristic
farm.- Involvement of small industrial/craft firms in the transformation
of small amounts of fibre into high quality spun.- Craft production of
knitwear and textile according to original styling so as to obtain typical
quality products.- Organisation of alternative marketing chains (social,
cultural and economic shows).- Creation of a demonstration centre in the
Maridiana agritouristic farm to allow training and the diffusion of similar
enterprises.
Participants and Roles - Maridiana farm (IT): herd management
and hosting of the demonstration centre.- Glass Consulting (UK): grazing
management and fibre processing.- Antiche Terre co-operative society (IT):
general co-ordination, training, and information.- ENEA CR Casaccia, INN
BIOAG PAN: management of the livestock, monitoring of the quality parameters
of the fibre, handling of the local industrial processing and co-ordination
of the activities of dissemination of the initiative.
MERINOS PROJECT IN MARCHE REGION
Working area - Six herds will be distributed in mountainous and
hilly areas under objective 5b in the Marche region. The herds will be
housed in the following farms:- Ascoli Piceno province: Az. Agrituristica
"La Campana";- Macerata province: Az. Agricole F. Amici, M. Aureli,
F. Angeli;- Pesaro province: Az. Agricola Pellini & Santini;- Ancona
province: Az. Agricola Comunitá Incontro (Drug addict recovery community).
Socio-economics - The area was traditionally devoted to sheep
and goat farming, but the progressive abandonment has led to a shift from
an agro-pastoral economy to an assisted and tourist economy. The area has
thus undergone a degradation of the traditional landscape and an ageing
of the resident population. Sheep are bred for meat and milk (transformed
into cheese) in small family farms with the help, when possible, of non
European labour. Between1982 and 1990 there has been a 7.5% reduction in
the number of farms and a29% increase in the number of heads (due to extensivization).
Production of high quality naturally coloured wool, obtained by creating
specific genetic lines, could easily integrate with the local textile industry.
In the Marche region, in fact, about 200 textile firms are present, testifying
an old tradition which in the past led to the selection of the Sopravissana
sheep breed, the only Italian Merinos breed together with the Gentile di
Puglia.
Project Scheme - The project will last three years and will be
developed along the following phases:1) Herd management: the herd will
be formed by 200 Sopravissana ewes divided between the six farms mentioned
above. Such ewes will be mated to12 black and brown Merinos males from
New Zealand following a cross and paternal back-cross mating scheme.2)
Involvement of small industrial/craft firms in the transformation of small
amounts of wool into high quality spun.3) Production of naturally coloured
knitwear and textile in collaboration with local clothing firms.4) Diffusion
of the acquired knowledge to the scientific community, the personnel involved
in technical assistance, and the breeders by means of conferences, talks,
meetings, and written material to make circulate.
Participants and Roles - ESAM (Ente di Sviluppo Agricolo delle
Marche): General co-ordination.- Universitá di Camerino, Facoltá
di Veterinaria: Planning and control of reproduction; testing of natural
colours; fibre transformation technology.- CNR, Istituto Rivetti of Biella:
Analysis of textile qualities of spun and finished products; fibre transformation
technology.- ENEA, CR Casaccia, INN BIOAG PAN: evaluation of wool production.-
C.T.A. (Centro Tessile Abbigliamento) of Pesaro: Production of finished
products.- OVI.CA (Associazione Allevatori Ovini e Caprini) of the Marche
region: Training and information; herd management.
Conclusions - These projects involve different actors in vertically
integrated systems, from production of the raw material (ecological production
of fine fibre and naturally coloured wool) up to marketing of the finished
product in agri-tourist and rural environments, with a strong value added
return during the phases preceding the final marketing. These projects
are potentially reproducible at various national and European levels, especially
in marginal areas, with the aim of recovering rural zones. However, they
require the possibility of integrating into the same area livestock, agri-tourism
and small/medium industrial or handicraft activities. The conditions for
the success of these projects are therefore particularly favourable in
textile-oriented Italian and European areas.