Rural Territory National Atlas

The Italian territory is essential for new agricultural policies to be appreciated, because "local products", which are guaranteed and controlled, are usually associated to our cultural heritage, a significant and important aspect of our country. Italy is rich in rural, food and social heritage, in a kind of new hospitality together with ancient traditions and innovations; it is a country which can always be given new models and experiences, its territory is a source for opportunities, environmental security and new identities. Therefore, thanks to this Rural Territory National Atlas named "New areas and characteristics for rural development policies", the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a new valid support to rural development policies, aimed at monitoring and interpreting the different upcoming areas of rural development, in order to specifically identify the impact of rural policy decisions and related measures on the whole territory through  proper impact assessment indicators. This new approaching and different scenario has been bringing forward updated issues and perspectives for the National Atlas, particularly focusing on the upcoming new roles and services the Italian rural territory is able to offer. As a matter of fact, the document "New areas and characteristics for rural development policies" suggests an updated overview as to the actual condition of our territory, taking particularly into account all the local networks and proposing new researches and studies on local sustainable development.