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Intro -- Preface -- Organization -- Contents -- ICT Innovations and Smart Farming -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 ICT Use in Agricultural -- 2.1 Role of ICT in Agriculture -- 3 ICT and Automation -- 4 ICT and Agricultural Production -- 5 ICT Application in Agriculture -- 5.1 Robotics -- 5.2 Precision Farming Management -- 5.3 Satellite Navigation -- 5.4 FMIS (Farm Management Information Systems) -- 6 Conclusion -- References -- Methods and Tools for Supporting the Integration of Stocks and Fisheries -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Background -- 2.1 The Data Sources -- 2.2 Requirements -- 3 Construction of the GRSF -- 3.1 The GRSF Record -- 3.2 The Process -- 4 Data Normalization Activities -- 4.1 Compliance with Standards -- 4.2 Identification of Unique Records -- 4.3 Semantic Identifiers -- 4.4 Multiple Values Prioritization -- 4.5 Records Similarities -- 4.6 Data Cleaning -- 5 Software Components and Architecture -- 6 Conclusion - Future Work -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Semiotic-Sociological Textures of Landscape Values. Assessments in Urban-Coastal Areas -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials the Landscape Context and the SDP of Syracuse -- 3 Methods -- 3.1 A Structuralist Approach -- 3.2 A Sociological Approach -- 3.3 The Valuation Pattern Semantic and Syntactic Modules -- 4 Implementation and Results -- 4.1 Semantic Module -- 4.2 Syntactic Module -- 5 Application, Results and Discussion -- 6 Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- A Systematic Review on Collective Awareness Platforms -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Collective Awareness Platforms -- 3 Social Innovation -- 4 Benefits and Hurdles of CAPS -- 5 Collective Awareness Platforms Foster Sustainable Agriculture -- 6 Examples of CAPS Enhancing Sustainability -- 7 Methodology -- 8 Conclusion -- References.

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Multi-scaling Agroclimatic Classification for Decision Support Towards Sustainable Production -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Background -- 3 Methodology -- 3.1 Climate Change and Agroclimatic Zoning -- 3.1.1 Climate Variability and Change -- 3.2 Agroclimatic Zoning -- 3.2.1 Hydroclimatic Zones -- 3.2.2 General Agroclimatic Zoning -- 3.2.3 Specific Agroclimatic Zoning -- 3.2.4 Multi-scaling Agroclimatic Zones -- 3.3 Multi-criteria Modelling -- 3.3.1 Components of the Multi-criteria Objective Function -- 3.3.2 Constraints of the Multi-criteria Modelling -- 3.4 Web Agricultural Production Platform -- 4 Study Area and Database -- 4.1 Study Area -- 4.2 Data Base and Preprocessing -- 5 Application of the Two-Stage Methodological Approach -- 5.1 Agroclimatic Zoning -- 5.1.1 Hydroclimatic Zoning -- 5.1.2 General Agroclimatic Zoning -- 5.1.3 Specific Agroclimatic Zoning -- 5.2 Application of the Multi-criteria Methodology -- 5.2.1 Pay-Off Matrix -- 5.2.2 Comparison of the Observed and Simulated Situations -- 6 Discussion of Results -- 7 Summary and Conclusions -- References -- Review of Multicriteria Methodologies and Tools for the Evaluation of the Provision of Ecosystem Services -- 1 Introduction and Objective -- 2 Ecosystem Services Concept -- 3 Literature Review on ES Concept -- 4 Multicriteria Approaches in ES Evaluation -- 5 Discussion -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- Integrating AHP and GIS Techniques for Rural Landscape and Agricultural Activities Planning -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methodology -- 2.1 Territorial Assessment of the Risk of Forest Fires in Livorno (Leghorn) Province -- 2.2 Productive and Landscape Restoration of a Hilly Rural Area (Pieve di Compito, Lucca) -- 2.3 Planning in the Rural-Urban Fringe Taking into Account the Multifunctional Role of Agriculture (Piana di Lucca, Lucca).

This book outlines the latest trends in the use of multicriteria analysis in agriculture by highlighting recent applications for modeling agricultural decision-making. It introduces specific case studies using multicriteria analysis as a method for selecting multiattribute discrete alternatives or solving multiobjective planning problems. The book is intended for a broad readership, including agricultural and environmental economists, engineers and all scientists whose work involves the management of agricultural resources and decision-making in agriculture. The methods and applications presented in this book cover decision-making processes in agricultural and environmental contexts. The methodologies described consider multiple criteria simultaneously in a wide range of complex decision-making contexts by taking into account multiple, conflicting criteria. Given the wide range of case studies covered, the book offers a comprehensive guide to decision-making in the agricultural context and beyond.

This study simulates the impact that various polices based upon the water price have on agricultural production and analyzes the economic, social and environmental implications of alternative irrigation water policies using a multicriteria model. For the purpose of scenario analysis, narratives and quantitative indicator values have been compiled. The results show that the increase of water price causes almost similar impacts with those that observed in the status quo scenario. The results also stress that water pricing as a single instrument for controlling irrigation water use is not a satisfactory tool for significantly reducing water consumption in agriculture.

This paper set out to explore the precision agriculture (PA)-training needs of students studying in agricultural universities in the Euro-Mediterranean region (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain). SPARKLE is a Knowledge Alliance Project, funded by the European Union (EU), and one of its main goals is to narrow the innovation divide between entrepreneurship and the effective application of sustainable PA. During the project, the research conducted in all countries in the Euro-Mediterranean region revealed differences in the PA-training needs of university students. Additionally, this paper set out to explore the socioeconomic characteristics of students that affect their interest and knowledge towards PA. Finally, this paper aimed to understand the scope, present status and strategies for improving PA training in agricultural universities in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The following descriptive statistics and two multivariate analysis techniques were used: Two-Step Cluster Analysis (TSCA) and Categorical Regression (CATREG). Results support the notion that the lack of "PA knowledge/interest" adds to the technological gap amongst university students, slow adoption of PA and lower levels of overall rural economic development. These findings will be used as the fundamental cognition for the development of a joint action plan and several other national plans in the selected regions.

This paper set out to explore the precision agriculture (PA)-training needs of students studying in agricultural universities in the Euro-Mediterranean region (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain). SPARKLE is a Knowledge Alliance Project, funded by the European Union (EU), and one of its main goals is to narrow the innovation divide between entrepreneurship and the effective application of sustainable PA. During the project, the research conducted in all countries in the Euro-Mediterranean region revealed differences in the PA-training needs of university students. Additionally, this paper set out to explore the socioeconomic characteristics of students that affect their interest and knowledge towards PA. Finally, this paper aimed to understand the scope, present status and strategies for improving PA training in agricultural universities in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The following descriptive statistics and two multivariate analysis techniques were used: Two-Step Cluster Analysis (TSCA) and Categorical Regression (CATREG). Results support the notion that the lack of "PA knowledge/interest" adds to the technological gap amongst university students, slow adoption of PA and lower levels of overall rural economic development. These findings will be used as the fundamental cognition for the development of a joint action plan and several other national plans in the selected regions.

The EU Water Framework Directive aims to ensure restoration of Europe's water bodies to "good ecological status" by 2027. Many Member States will struggle to meet this target, with around half of EU river catchments currently reporting below standard water quality. Diffuse pollution from agriculture represents a major pressure, affecting over 90% of river basins. Accumulating evidence shows that recent improvements to agricultural practices are benefiting water quality but in many cases will be insufficient to achieve WFD objectives. There is growing support for land use change to help bridge the gap, with a particular focus on targeted tree planting to intercept and reduce the delivery of diffuse pollutants to water. This form of integrated catchment management offers multiple benefits to society but a significant cost to landowners and managers. New economic instruments, in combination with spatial targeting, need to be developed to ensure cost effective solutions – including tree planting for water benefits - are realised. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are flexible, incentive-based mechanisms that could play an important role in promoting land use change to deliver water quality targets. The PESFOR-W COST Action will consolidate learning from existing woodlands for water PES schemes in Europe and help standardize approaches to evaluating the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures. It will also create a European network through which PES schemes can be facilitated, extended and improved, for example by incorporating other ecosystem services linking with aims of the wider forests-carbon policy nexus.

The EU Water Framework Directive aims to ensure restoration of Europe's water bodies to "good ecological status" by 2027. Many Member States will struggle to meet this target, with around half of EU river catchments currently reporting below standard water quality. Diffuse pollution from agriculture represents a major pressure, affecting over 90% of river basins. Accumulating evidence shows that recent improvements to agricultural practices are benefiting water quality but in many cases will be insufficient to achieve WFD objectives. There is growing support for land use change to help bridge the gap, with a particular focus on targeted tree planting to intercept and reduce the delivery of diffuse pollutants to water. This form of integrated catchment management offers multiple benefits to society but a significant cost to landowners and managers. New economic instruments, in combination with spatial targeting, need to be developed to ensure cost effective solutions – including tree planting for water benefits - are realised. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are flexible, incentive-based mechanisms that could play an important role in promoting land use change to deliver water quality targets. The PESFOR-W COST Action will consolidate learning from existing woodlands for water PES schemes in Europe and help standardize approaches to evaluating the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures. It will also create a European network through which PES schemes can be facilitated, extended and improved, for example by incorporating other ecosystem services linking with aims of the wider forests-carbon policy nexus.

The EU Water Framework Directive aims to ensure restoration of Europe's water bodies to "good ecological status" by 2027. Many Member States will struggle to meet this target, with around half of EU river catchments currently reporting below standard water quality. Diffuse pollution from agriculture represents a major pressure, affecting over 90% of river basins. Accumulating evidence shows that recent improvements to agricultural practices are benefiting water quality but in many cases will be insufficient to achieve WFD objectives. There is growing support for land use change to help bridge the gap, with a particular focus on targeted tree planting to intercept and reduce the delivery of diffuse pollutants to water. This form of integrated catchment management offers multiple benefits to society but a significant cost to landowners and managers. New economic instruments, in combination with spatial targeting, need to be developed to ensure cost effective solutions – including tree planting for water benefits - are realised. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are flexible, incentive-based mechanisms that could play an important role in promoting land use change to deliver water quality targets. The PESFOR-W COST Action will consolidate learning from existing woodlands for water PES schemes in Europe and help standardize approaches to evaluating the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures. It will also create a European network through which PES schemes can be facilitated, extended and improved, for example by incorporating other ecosystem services linking with aims of the wider forests-carbon policy nexus.