Constitution and Agriculture between Past and Present

Constitution and agriculture now interrelate between two fundamental parameters: the multifunctional principle on the one hand, with the emphasis on the new relations between town and country, and, on the other hand, the multiplicity of sources, overturning the traditional legal reference hierarchy. The author concentrates on the latter aspect, noting the substantial changes in the system of jurisdictions in the field of agriculture, as came about with the radical modifications introduced with constitutional law n. 3/2001, providing for a multi-centre model with equal distribution of competences, within which agriculture comes under the sole jurisdiction of the regions. The range of competences has also seen a second broad change with the EU system, a plural model with manifold contents and agents, superseding both the inveterate productivity rationale and the traditional category of entrepreneur. The new integrated area development processes are seen to call for a differentiated range of development models.