Development of a marginal area through the valorisation of black truffle and creation of a voluntary land owner association

This work describes a valorisation process in a marginal territory of Italy, where the recovery of black truffle process and the setting up of a landowner association, allowed to revive a local and sustainable supply chain, through the development of a traditional resource able to produce significant impacts, both on the local economy and on the land management. The purpose is to describe the study-case of Grana Valley producers, analysing the distinctive aspects and evaluating its reproducibility in similar conditions, which are typical of marginal European lands. The work is inspired by a concrete example of land development to solve a problem which is common to many marginal areas, through the methodology of the “study cases” (Stake, 1995). The study area is a mountain valley, with 9 municipalities and 20,000 inhabitants, landlocked and with a territory marked by several negative characteristics of marginality, but with high quality environmental resources. The main local economic activity is livestock and the production of a prized DOP cheese. Overall, the Grana Valley is a suited area for the production of black truffle. Since 2003 were realized 7.5 ha of truffle plantation (1900 mycorrhized -plants). According to our assessments, these plantations are able to adequately remunerate the investment, giving rise to good economic results in the medium – long term. The goals of the “land association”, birth in 2013 by some of same main actors, involving 64 owners private and public for a total of 100 hectares, are the recovery of degraded pastures. The private owners have no direct economic incomes, but they participate in a project aimed at valorizing their territory, with long term spillovers. This initiative represents a successful experience, and a very interesting study case, with two development’s phases and a great potential, not yet fully expressed. The success of this valorisation process can be identified in a new territorial strategy, based on small economic activities, but able to act continuously in promoting the dialog and the aggregation of the actors. The result h as been the naissance of a local new profession, the “truffle grower”. This process, indeed, confirms the theory explaining that mountain areas should not be defined as “disadvantaged” tout court. Therefore, the Valle Grana process can be acknowledged either as a first step in a larger action, and as a study case to be exported to other areas, where natural conditions and socio-economic structures are present and ready to play.