A brief outlook at the environmental consequences of rural development: Evidence from a Southern European country

A comprehensive analysis of socio-demographic and economic conditions over long-time horizons requires a careful investigation of the associated agro-environmental context at local, regional, and, possibly, country scales. Demographic and economic issues emerge from such investigations as a result of broader territorial dynamics, in turn, associated with a particularly complex evolutionary path of the agricultural sector, influencing environmental quality and ecosystem stability. In this perspective, our study provides a historical contribution dealing with representative country in Southern Europe, focusing on the postwar evolution of the agricultural sector vis-a`-vis socioeconomic dynamics and the latent impact on rural landscapes in Italy.