Terraced viticulture of the cembra valley in Italy: Towards the inclusion of sustainable landscape management in quality-oriented development actions

Abstract

Terraces represent the most wide-spread solution for steep hillslope cultivation. The elevated number of positive ecosystem services produced by the derived terraced landscapes when-well maintained are threatened by ongoing land-abandonment and landscape-irrespective agricultural transformation processes. In this manuscript, we analyzed the current state of the terraced area of Val di Cembra (Trentino-Italy). We aimed to analyze the reason behind the high rate of active maintenance of the terraced viticulture, discuss the main risks related to the introduction of intensive land management practices and list possible solutions for ensuring a long-term sustainable development of the area. We identified the wine-quality oriented development of viticulture, the realization of important infrastructure to ensure mobility and irrigation, and the strong sense of belonging still present also among young generations, the main factors determining the high rate of active maintenance of the terraced landscape. Besides the risk of obsolescence that affects the most marginal terraced areas of the valley, other risks are associated with the possible diffusion of landscape-indifferent land-arrangement and to the adoption of not traditional training systems, which may affect negatively the landscape value. Future perspectives need to enlarge the quality-oriented process undertaken in wine production to the whole territory. Including landscape in land management planning will ensure long-lasting sustainability of viticulture, matching the increasing demand for environmental services from the community and the consumers. Ongoing action in the Valley, that involve both private stakeholders and local authorities, are indicating the intention of the community to move in this direction.