Tutela della biodiversità e livelli di interrelazione nei sistemi locali di alcuni ecotipi di specie ortive in Sicilia[Protection of biodiversity and levels of interrelation in the local systems of some ecotypes of horticultural species in Sicily]

Italy is a country with a very rich biodiversity heritage, wonderful synthesis of a territory characterized by a consolidated agro-food tradition. In this context, Sicily plays a leading role with a wide supply of quality agri-food products based on strong relationship with the territory and marked by a high potential for specificity. Despite the socio-economic and environmental value of these productions is widely-accepted, they often suffer a low level of protection and support which greatly limit the possibilities of development and, in some cases, even survival. The paper, which present a short review of Sicilian traditional horticultural production, aims at identifying the specificity of local systems based on the cultivation of some horticultural local cultivars (Cavolfiore violetto Natalino, Cavolo Rapa di Acireale, Fava di Leonforte, and Cipolla di Giarratana) in centre and eastern areas of island. Crops were selected on the basis of two main criteria such as the characterization of the product (reputation) and the genetic specificity. The study tries to verify the presence of relational systems through the characterization of collective relationship among social and economic actors involved all over the chain (filiere).