Performing an economic stakeholder analysis requires in-depth consideration and articulation of the needs, values and priorities of those who have a “stake” or an interest in a project, process or policy.

ATM Consulting, one of the three Italian partners of the LIVINAGRO Consortium, has been responsible for the analysis of economic stakeholders in the Mediterranean agroforestry sector for the two project Living Labs (LLs) - namely for LL1 on multifunctional olive systems and for LL2 on grazed woodlands - which was carried out the first fifteen months since the project start and finalized at the end of February 2021.

The purpose of the project activity referred to the:

•    Identification of all relevant stakeholders for LIVINGAGRO (LL1 and LL2)
•    Creation of a basis for stakeholder involvement
•    Creation of a basis for communication among relevant stakeholders at various levels
•   Setting of the scene for the implementation of virtuous circles with positive economic dynamics in the medium to long-term.

After elaborating the methodology for the successful performance of the agroforestry economic stakeholders analysis, ATM created two databases including relvant data (company name, legal representative, type of stakeholder, contacts etc.). The achieved databases for LL1 and LL2 include primary agricultural producers, food processors, trade associations, seed wholesalers, representatives of the public administrations and institutions, researchers and academia representatives and other type of stakeholders from Sardinia, Greece, Lebanon and Jordan.

Subsequently, ATM Consulting set up two questionnaires (one for LL1 and for LL2) to be distributed to all identified stakeholders in order to enquire about the need of innovation in Mediterranean multifunctional olive systems and grazed woodlands as per the project mandate. To this end, telephone interviews (also considering the COVID-19 pandemic) were carried out additionally in Sardinia and in Lebanon with the support of the local partner LARI.

The survey performed in the framework of the economic stakeholders analysis was successfully achieved with a total of 27 questionnaires completed for Sardinia, 31 for Lebanon and 63 for Greece. Moreover, a total of 11 farms were involved in the telephone interviews activity for LL1 (multifunctional olive systems) while 8 farms were involved in both the interviews as well as the project field visits for LL2 (grazed woodlands).

A further step of the overall analysis included matching of the innovation needs emerged from the interviews with all the individual farms that responded to the survey (questionnarie). This activity was implemented in order to circulate this valuable information with the project partners which would have been involved in the field visits and field trials activity together with a selected number of farms.  

Results of the economic stakeholder analysis for LL1 and LL2

Concerning the results for LL1 in Sardinia in terms of innovation needs, most of the responses provided by farms focused on innovations regarding the improvement of pruning operations (15%) and working conditions (13%).
Equal importance is given to the innovative aspects relating to the production increase of olive groves (12%), the improvement of the phytosanitary aspects of the crop (12%) and the reduction of production costs (12%).
 

In Crete, most of the answers given by farms revolved around improving the quality of their product (23.8% of the answers). Another very important aspect is linked to the improvement of the phytosanitary aspects of the crop (16.9% of the answers). The reduction in production costs was indicated in 15.3% of the answers, while the increase in olive production was indicated in 11.6% of the answers.
 

In Lebanon, 24% of the respondents focused on improving the phytosanitary aspects of the crop, followed by the request for innovation relating to the improvement of pruning operations (18% of the answers) and the improvement of working conditions (16%).
 

In Jordan, the prevailing interest mainly concerned economic objectives, aimed at increasing farm income. The farmers believe they can achieve these goals through innovations aimed at increasing the production yields of olive trees and, in general, agricultural production and the containment of production costs.

Concerning LL2, the main results as following:
 

In Sardinia, the most important aspects indicated by the farmers point mainly to the problems connected to the fertility of the soils (37% of the answers), of particular relevance is also the safeguarding of biodiversity (23% of the answers), the safeguarding of land from erosion (15%) and aspects related to the best use of water resources (15%).

In Crete, the aspects most often highlighted by the involved companies were the maintenance and / or improvement of soil fertility (29%) and the lesser use of chemical products (29%).
The rationalization and saving of water resources appears as a priority in 15% of the answers, while the protection of the soil from erosion in 8% of the answers.

As for the aspects that Lebanese farmers indicate as particularly relevant to their business, the maintenance and / or improvement of soil fertility is indicated in 35% of the answers. The second most important aspect is the lesser use of chemical products (28% of the answers) which is strictly connected to the rationalization and improvement of phytosanitary treatments (13% of the answers).
 

Jordanian farmers provided unfrotunately no answers regarding grazed woodlands.