Land consolidation policies in Sicily and their effects on its farmland

Abstract

The paper deals with the legislative interventions in the field of land consolidation and their effects in improving the Sicilian land property structure. After a preliminary analysis of the legislative framework at national and regional level, a study on the structural evolution of the farming system in Italy and Sicily during the 1961-2010 period was carried out. In order to appreciate the actual impact and the relative efficacy of such interventions, data concerning the actions for land reorganization provided for by the Measure 4.11 contained in the 2000-2006 ROP for Sicily were analysed. On the basis of the data provided by the Regional Board for Agricultural and Food Resources, it has been possible to state that the political actions for land consolidation in Sicily brought about a very modest impact in terms of both involved land area and sales value, failing to comply with the goals set by the Regional Plan for Land Consolidation. Part of the failure is also due to the pronouncement of incompatibility of certain interventions with the EU Treaty, which has in fact blocked the actions of land consolidation based on financial breaks.