Trentino-Alto Adige - Italy

Contact: Enrico Vidale, University of Padua

Regional Stakeholder Group & News

 

Wild mushrooms in Italy: from a commodity to a recreational service

• What happened in the Italian wildmushtoom market in the last 30 years and in the attitude of the Italians toward wild mushrooms?

• Can recreational wild mushroom picking be a source of income for the forest managers?

• Is the income related wild mushroom picking adequately considered in forest management planning?

• What the structure of the international fresh wild mushroom trade today? 

 

About Trentino Alto Adige

Trentino Alto Adige is a mountainous region where the main economic activities are concentrated along the Adige Valley. Grapes, apple orchards and berries production characterise the landscape view in the low part of the region, grassland forest and pasture in the highest zone. Alongside the steep slopes of the mountains, close-to-nature silviculture is performed and owners are mainly public (municipalities). All municipality forests are managed under the strict prescriptions of forest management plans. High management costs, the multifunctional use of forests (with the need to provide important public services) together with the lack of coordination of forest owners have limited the profitability of wood production.

In this context, NWFP, once considered "secondary" products with a relatively limited importance, are now just starting to get more consideration by decision makers. This minor role of NWFPs in the past was due firstly to the presence of customary rights for their use by locals, which has limited the availability of products for other uses, and secondly to low revenues compared to wood and agriculture products. Today, general welfare conditions and reduced profitability from wood production have enhanced the use of NWFP for recreational purposes, with the generation of new outcomes for the forest sector.