Modernization and Multifunctionality in the Agriculture of the Italian Mezzogiorno In this paper we analyse the recent dynamics of agriculture in Southern Italy following a two-fold path: one is in the line of the of productivist modernisation paradigm, aiming to verify to what extent the gap between the Italian Mezzogiorno and the rest of Italy can be ascertained also in the primary sector; the other explores whether qualitative modernisation approaches are feasible in the South. The development of Southern agriculture in the last thirty years has revealed the essential inadequacy of the productivist modernisation recipe. At the same time, the post-productivism paradigm seems to show only limited potential: the increase of new functions in agriculture as well as the diversification of activities coexist with the unsuccessful experience of productivism. EconLit Classification: Q130, Q150, R110
Keywords: Mezzogiorno, Structural lag, Multifunctional agriculture, Postproductivism, Modernisation