Innovation in Territorial Governance: the Case of Agricultural Districts in Lombardy Region

In recent years globalization and the economic crisis have been pressing the agricultural sector, driving farmers to adopt new tools in order to deal with the challenges put in place by a globalized market and by the actions of agricultural policies. In this sense, the Italian legislation allows them joining in organized superstructures that, referring to the concept of industrial district, involve different members of a specific production sector in a territorial context, in a network of relationships and a higher vertical and horizontal integration. Under these drivers, agricultural rural districts, agro-food quality districts and supply chain districts have been constituted. They represent concrete examples of a new form of territorial governance that may play a role in the development and enhancement of the local area and its agro-food production. Three districts belonging to different categories operating and recognized by Lombardy region have been taken as case studies, and a set of qualitative criteria and indicators is proposed, in order to provide a framework of their characteristics and a preliminary comparison among them and their impacts.