Happy to share the publication of a recent article in Sociologia Ruralis, “Agroecology for migrant ‘emplacement’ in the left-behind European countryside” by Simone Cappati and Alberto Alonso-Fradejas. In this work, they explore the intersection of the green and demographic transitions in the European Union, focusing on the role of agroecology in the settlement and socioeconomic integration of diverse newcomers in Italy’s ageing and marginalised rural areas.
The article analyzes the challenges and opportunities faced by both Italian city-dwellers-turned-agroecological farmers and non-EU agroecological farmworkers in these communities. Through the lens of agroecological initiatives supported by municipalities and NGOs, they investigate how these efforts contribute to the EU Green Deal while offering newcomers a chance to participate in sustainable rural (re)development. Their findings suggest that agroecology has the potential to foster ’emplacement’ by facilitating everyday interactions between long-time residents and newcomers, though they also highlight potential issues of injustice that may arise from exploitative labor practices.
Rural Sociology Wageningen University 