La castanicoltura quale elemento per lo sviluppo del territorio

The chestnut cultivation may be defined “multifunctional” due to its several ways of acting on the Appenninic area: it is a basic instrument for land valorisation; it also represents an important supplement to the farm income; in the meantime chestnut favours the development of other economical activities like gastronomy, agritouristic firms, handicrafts, rural buildings renovation, etc.. In addition chestnut groves play an important role for soil and water protection and control and represent a basic element of the traditional landscape. It is a fundamental parameter in order to obtain the environmental certification. This survey has been focused on the Castel del Rio area in Emilia-Romagna region, where the chestnut fruits have received the PGI label (Protected Geographical Indication) from the EU as “marrone di Castel del Rio