Figure 1.--Italian agriculture was an imprtant part of the Kingdom of Italy's economy, buit was bzckward and inefficent. One factor was that a substantil number of people involved were outside of the monied economy. This included workers on large estates in soyuthern Itly. There were also people living t the subiisuitence level. Here we see an Italian family, probablyjust after the Second World War, in Bendoni, Campigna village within the Apennine mountains woods, about 25 miles e east of Florence. The family lived on a little livestiock breeding and subsistence farming. We see the parents and eight children. We know that later another child was born. Several families lived in that Appennine woods on the same subsistence economy. After the War In the 1950s-60s they all migrated to Florence or to northern industrial cities. Nowadays the place is uninhabited and the woods are part of a national park.

Even during the Roman Empire, the Romans had yo imprt grain. Over time fertile land of the Italian peninsula gradually transformed Italy from being one of the richest areas of Europe into one of the poorest. The foundation of Italian wealth, industries like banking, wool, weaving, glass had declined. Italy was still a largely agricultural country at the time of Italian independence -- the "Risorgimento" and the foundation of the Italian Kingdom (1850s). The country had began to modernizes, but at mid-century over 40 percent of the population was enployed in agriculure. 【INEA】 This probsbly does not capture the true importance of agriculture because some of Italian agriculture was at the subsistence agriculture. What many mosern readers do not understand is that in Italy like most other countries. the peasantry was largely landless. (America and France) were rare exceptions in which the land was owned by the people who actually farmed it. The landless Italian peasantry was larely apolitical and not involved in the "Risorgimento". Landowners wre involved and they were the benefefiaries of the agricultural system that kept the peasntry both poor and uneducated. Italian agriculture was largely unchanged since Roman times, especially in the south. Agricultural land in many areas was seriously depleted. The focus was largely on grain production to produce the bread which was so important in the Italian diet. During the medieval era, pasta also became important--a culinary import from China. There was also silk production (silviculture). 【Zuppiroli】 Changes began with the Agrarian Crisis (1880s). Italy's first unitary Parliment addressed the growing Agrarian Crisis, but was heavily oriented toward the land owners. 【Vinciguerra】 Agricultural production did improve, but the depleted Italian soil and lack of innovation was not capable of supporting the growing Italian population. Unlike America, innovation did not occur because labor was so cheap, there was no real incentive to invest in modern methods. Italians began migrating to America (1870s). Homesteading was still possible, but few Italians despite coming from rural backgrounds had an interest in farming. Most decided that they wanted to live in cities and wanyed jobs in America's booming industry, earning far more than they had as agricultural workers in Italy. Others began by operating carts selling a range of merchandise. This was often the first step to opening small shops. The few that did turn to farming pursued truck farms proficing vegtanle close to the big cities rather than grain farming on the Plains. (This was the same reason that the slave South could not compete with the free North in the American Civil War.) The future of Italian agriculture was with specialized high value Mediterranean products for the domestic and export market. Transport here was an issue, but even in ancient times wine produced by grapes coukld be exported/ As transport options improved, high value Mediteranean food and drink exports imprived in impoortance. Protection of the tradotional cereal farming delayed the change. The Fascist regime (1923-44), for example, gave comsiderble effort to increasing grain production--the Battle for Grain. After World War II we see a major shift from aguculture, especially traditional grain production.

Historic Italian Agriculture

Even during the Roman Empire, the Romans had to imprt grain. Over time fertile land of the Italian peninsula gradually transformed Italy from being one of the richest areas of Europe into one of the poorest. During the medieval era, pasta also became important--a culinary import from China. But as pasta was made from wheat, it did not change agriculture. It did create a culinary tradition different than much of Europe. There was also silk production (silviculture). Yhe Greeks intrioduced wine mking to Italy and Italy over time would become a wine making powerhouse.

Renaisance

As part of the Renaisance, the European economy began to recover, emrging from the medueval era. Northern Italy became the most prosperous era of Europe. There were advances in thinking, art, and math. Universities began to appear. The foundation of Italian wealth in the north became industries like banking, wool, weaving, and glass. Southern Italy still dominated by agriculture did not share in these developments.

Independence (1850s)

Italy was a divided country at the times of independence. There was a prosperous modern north with manufscturing and developing industries and a largely agricultural, virially feudal south A major factor here as the fact that much of northern Italy was influenced by the Germzans as part of the Austrian/Austro-Hungasrian Empire. The "Risorgimento" led to the foundation of the Italian Kingdom (1850s).

Agriculture

The country had began to modernizes, but at mid-century over 40 percent of the population was enployed in agriculure. 【INEA】 This probsbly does not capture the true importance of agriculture because some of Italian agriculture was at the subsistence agriculture. What many modern readers do not fully understand is that in Italy like most other countries. the peasantry was largely landless. (America and France) were rare exceptions in which the land was owned by the people who actually farmed it. The landless Italian peasantry was larely apolitical and not involved in the "Risorgimento". Landowners wre involved and they were the benefefiaries of the agricultural system that kept the peasntry both poor and uneducated. Italian agriculture was largely unchanged since Roman times, especially in the south. Agricultural land in many areas was seriously depleted. The focus was largely on grain production to produce the bread and pasta which was so important in the Italian diet. 【Zuppiroli】

Agrarian Crisis

Changes began with the Agrarian Crisis (1880s). Italy's first unitary Parliment addressed the growing Agrarian Crisis, but was heavily oriented toward the land owners. 【Vinciguerra】 Agricultural production did improve, but the depleted Italian soil and lack of innovation was not capable of supporting the growing Italian population. Unlike America, economic innovation at least in the south did not occur because labor was so cheap, there was no real incentive to invest in modern methods.

America

Italians began migrating to America (1870s). In America Homesteading was still possible, but few Italians despite coming from rural backgrounds had an interest in farming. Most decided that they wanted to live in cities and wanyed jobs in America's booming industry, earning far more than they had as agricultural workers in Italy. Others began by operating carts selling a range of merchandise. This was often the first step to opening small shops. The few that did turn to farming pursued truck farms producing vegetable close to the big cities rather than grain farming on the Plains. (This was the same reason that the American slave South could not compete with the free North in the American Civil War.)

High Value Agriculture

The future of Italian agriculture was with specialized high value Mediterranean products for the domestic and export market. Interestingly, this was the one form of agricylure that Italians immigrants showed an interest in when they reached America. This was called truck farming. These were small farms gthat prioduced vegetables and fruits for the growing cities. Transport for high-value agriculture as an issue, but even in ancient times wine produced by grapes coukld be exported/ As transport options improved, high value Mediteranean food and drink exports imprived in impoortance. Protection of the traditional cereal farming delayed the change.

Fascist Era

The Fascist regime (1923-44), for example, gave comsiderble effort to increasing grain production--the Battle for Grain.

Post-War Era

After World War II we see a major shift from agriuculture, especially traditional grain production. Industry boomed in northern Itatly. Much of this was led by the German Economic Miracle. Italian workers found jobs in Gerrman factories.

Sources

Istituto nazionale di economia agraria (INEA). "L'agricoltura italiana conta 2011" (2011).

Vinciguerra, Salvatore (2014). "Mercantile routes and agriculture transformation in Southern Italy and Sicily between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries," Rivista di storia economica Vol. 3 (2014), pp. 281–324.

Zuppiroli, Marco. "Corso di 'Economia Agroalimentare (Sistema e Mercati)" (Università degli Studi di Parma).

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Created: 10:54 PM 6/8/2023
Last updated: 10:54 PM 6/8/2023