Adaptation of Fruit and Vegetable Production Systems in Mediterranean Europe: An Approach from the Study of Agricultural Farms in Four Small Regions of France,Italy and Spain

Abstract

This article presents a joint project carried out by four European research institutes. The project is focused on the adaptation of fruit- and vegetable-producing farms in Mediterranean Europe. It is based on empirical studies carried out in four agricultural districts located in France, Italy and Spain. The same scientific approach was adopted for each of the studies, featuring: (i) farm characteristics and diversity, (ii) modelling through linear programming and simulations. The work shows that, in addition to local pressures, new adaptations are implemented in all districts in response to three general objectives: profitability, risk and external demands, and at three levels: technical, farm and collective actions.