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Covid-19 and rural landscape: the case of Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Manganelli, Simone
  • Piras, Francesco
  • Agnoletti, Mauro

Abstract

Throughout the covid‐19 emergency, health authorities have presented contagion data divided by administrative regions with no reference to the type of landscape, environment or development model. This study has been conducted to understand whether there is a correlation between the number of infections and the different rural landscapes of the country. Italy’s rural landscape can be classified in four types, according to the intensity of energy inputs used in the agricultural process, socioeconomic and environmental features. Type A includes areas of periurban agriculture surrounding the metropolitan cities, type B areas of intensive agriculture with high concentration of agroindustry, type C hilly areas with highly diversified agriculture and valuable landscape, and type D high hills and mountains with forests and protected areas. Areas A and B are located in the plains, covering 21% of the territory and accounting for 57% of the population. They produce most of the added value, consume high levels of energy and represent the main source of pollution. Areas C and D cover 79% of the territory and 43% of the population. We find that provinces with 10% more type C and D areas exhibit on average 10% fewer cases of contagion. The result is statistically significant, after controlling for demographic, economic and environmental characteristics of the provinces. The pollution produced in more energy‐intensive landscape has triggered an intense debate of how to ensure the economic competitiveness of Italian agriculture, without compromising environmental integrity or public health. Our findings speak to this debate, by suggesting that planning for more rural territory with lower energy inputs may come with the added benefit of new development opportunities and decreasing the exposure of the population to covid‐19. . Cost benefit‐analyses should take into account that policies aimed at repopulating more rural areas may reduce the economic impact of covid‐19 and of potential future pandemics. JEL Classification: Q1, Q15, O13

Suggested Citation

  • Manganelli, Simone & Piras, Francesco & Agnoletti, Mauro, 2020. "Covid-19 and rural landscape: the case of Italy," Working Paper Series 2478, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20202478
    Note: 196912
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    2. Małgorzata Dudzińska & Marta Gwiaździńska-Goraj & Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle, 2022. "Social Factors as Major Determinants of Rural Development Variation for Predicting Epidemic Vulnerability: A Lesson for the Future," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-24, October.
    3. Hossein Esfandyari & Shahla Choobchian & Yadgar Momenpour & Hossein Azadi, 2023. "Sustainable rural development in Northwest Iran: proposing a wellness-based tourism pattern using a structural equation modeling approach," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Anne Goujon & Fabrizio Natale & Daniela Ghio & Alessandra Conte, 2022. "Demographic and territorial characteristics of COVID-19 cases and excess mortality in the European Union during the first wave," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 533-556, December.
    5. Yun Jo & Andy Hong & Hyungun Sung, 2021. "Density or Connectivity: What Are the Main Causes of the Spatial Proliferation of COVID-19 in Korea?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-16, May.
    6. Nan Li & Muzi Chen & Difang Huang, 2022. "How Do Logistics Disruptions Affect Rural Households? Evidence from COVID-19 in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    7. Enrico Pomatto & Marco Devecchi & Federica Larcher, 2022. "Assessment of the Terraced Landscapes’ Integrity: A GIS-Based Approach in a Potential GIAHS-FAO Site (Northwest Piedmont, Italy)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-21, December.
    8. Karla Villarreal-Sotelo, 2021. "Suicide during the Covid-19 pandemic, a preliminary analysis in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico," International Journal of Social Sciences, European Research Center, vol. 10(1), pages 88-101, March.
    9. Vincenzo Rusciano & Andrea Gatto, 2022. "Effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak on the Use and Perceptions of Metropolitan Agricultural Parks—Evidence from Milan and Naples of Urban and Environmental Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-19, June.
    10. Hanna Elisabet Åberg & Simona Tondelli, 2021. "Escape to the Country: A Reaction-Driven Rural Renaissance on a Swedish Island Post COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-16, November.
    11. Christina Kakderi & Nicos Komninos & Anastasia Panori & Eleni Oikonomaki, 2021. "Next City: Learning from Cities during COVID-19 to Tackle Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.
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    13. Raphael Ocelli Pinheiro & Luiza F. A. de Paula & Marco Giardino, 2022. "Agricultural Heritage: Contrasting National and International Programs in Brazil and Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-24, May.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    environment; exposure to covid‐19; sustainable agriculture;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q1 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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