The effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplements containing trans-10, cis-12 for reducing milk fat synthesis has been well described in dairy cows and sheep. Studies on lactating goats, however, remain inconclusive. Therefore, the current study investigated the efficacy of a lipid-encapsulated trans-10, cis-12 CLA supplement (LE-CLA) on milk production and milk fatty acid profile in dairy goats. Thirty multiparous Alpine lactating goats in late lactation were used in a 3 x 3 Latin square design (14-d treatment periods separated by 14-d intervals). Does were fed a total mixed ration of Bermuda grass hay, dehydrated alfalfa pellets, and concentrate. Does were randomly allocated to 3 treatments: A) unsupplemented (control), B) supplemented with 30 g/d of LE-CLA (low dose; CLA-1), and C) supplemented with 60 g/d of LE-CLA (high dose; CLA-2). Milk yield, dry matter intake, and milk protein content and yield were unaffected by treatment. Compared with the control, milk fat yield was reduced 8% by the CLA-1 treatment and 21% by the CLA-2 treatment, with milk fat content reduced 5 and 18% by the CLA-1 and CLA-2 treatments, respectively. The reduction in milk fat yield was due to decreases in both de novo fatty acid synthesis and uptake of preformed fatty acids. Milk fat content of trans-10, cis-12 CLA was 0.03, 0.09, and 0.19 g/100 g of fatty acids for the control, CLA-1, and CLA-2 treatments, respectively. The transfer efficiency of trans-10, cis-12 CLA from the 2 levels of CLA supplement into milk fat was not different between treatments and averaged 1.85%. In conclusion, trans-10, cis-12 CLA reduced milk fat synthesis in lactating dairy goats in a manner similar to that observed for lactating dairy cows and dairy sheep. Dose-response comparisons, however, suggest that the degree of reduction in milk fat synthesis is less in dairy goats compared with dairy cows and dairy sheep.

Post-war development-characterized by intensive processes of urbanization, concentration of agriculture on the most fertile lands, and abandonment of mountainous and marginal areas-brought about negative environmental and socio-economic consequences. They have been particularly severe in terms of increase of hydrogeological risk, which is high in most Italian regions. Over time, there has been an increasing awareness of the multiple functions played by agriculture in terms of provision of Ecosystem Services (ES), which contribute fundamentally to human well-being. In particular, some ES provided by farmers may help to reduce the hydrogeological risk of territories prone to landslides and floods. In this framework, the paper presents as a case study the project "Farmers as Custodians of a Territory." This project was implemented in the Serchio River basin, Tuscany (Italy), and combines a multifunctional farm strategy of diversification with the provision of Ecosystem Services related to the hydraulic and hydrogeological protection of the river-basin territory. Although this case study should be read within the framework of the theories of agricultural multifunctionality and ES provision, it nevertheless took a very pragmatic and innovative approach, which differentiates it from most of the case studies given in the literature. Results of our analysis show that, by involving farmers as custodians of the territory, it is possible to reach a "win-win" solution characterized, on the one hand, by better services for the community at a lower cost for the Land Reclamation Consortia involved with hydrogeological risk prevention, thus improving the effectiveness and efficiency of ES provision; and on the other hand, by improving the economic situation and survival chances of local farms.

The debate on the relevance of the global sustainability (including energy, environmental, social, economic, and political aspects) of building stock is becoming increasingly important in Europe. In this context, special attention is placed on the refurbishment of existing buildings, in particular those characterized by significant volumes and poor energy performance. Directive 2012/27/EU introduced stringent constraints (often disregarded) for public administrations to ensure a minimum yearly renovation quota of its building stock. This study describes how Life Cycle Cost analysis (LCC) can be used as a tool to identify the “cost-optimal level” among different design solutions to improve the energy performance of existing buildings. With this aim, a social housing building located in the town of Pisa (Italy) was chosen as the case study, for which two alternative renovation designs were compared using the LCC methodology to identify the optimal solution. The two alternatives were characterized by the same energy performance—one was based on the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new building (with a wooden frame structure, as proposed by the public company owner of the building), while the other was based on the renovation of the existing building. This study can provide useful information, especially for designers and public authorities, about the relevance of the economic issues related to the renovation of social housing in a Mediterranean climate.

There is a growing interest on landscape and landscape policy and planning, especially since the adoption of the European Landscape Convention in 2000. This latter defines landscape as "an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors". In the case of rural landscape, this means that an appropriate governance model should not only involve local stakeholders in a participative approach, but also take into account natural characteristics, cultural aspects of the past and present, and socio-economic aspects, since agriculture is the main driver of change for rural landscapes. Farm strategies are influenced by internal and by external factors, these latter being related to market conditions and to constraints and opportunities given by policies. Market globalization and Agricultural policies are consequently having a strong impact on landscape, that public institutions try to neutralise setting rules about landscape conservation. Thus, due to its specific features, landscape is impacted both by several sectorial and territorial policies which have none or very low coordination among them. Indeed, Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has often shown a negative influence on landscape, also in the case of Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) intended to promote landscape. In this framework, the aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive model for the governance of rural landscape and a first simplified application to a cultural landscape. This model is based on the integration of a geographical multi-criteria analysis, an advanced GIS-based geo-processing tools, and participatory techniques aiming to understand and foresee local stakeholders' behaviours through focus-groups and dedicated interviews. The identification of future landscape scenarios is based on the integration of past evolution (historical analysis), landscape sensitivity (territorial analysis) and farmers' adaptation to market and policy changes (farm analysis). A simplified version of the model was tailored and tested in the municipality of Castiglione d'Orcia of the Siena province in Tuscany, Italy, one of the UNESCO cultural landscapes, but is the Authors' opinion that its approach

Small farms' contribution to food and nutrition security (FNS) is widely acknowledged, however the diversity of context-specific characteristics of small farms is still barely documented in terms of farm strategies and household dynamics. The paper analyzes this contribution in connection with the strategies related to the destination of the produce, with specific attention to the balance between food self-provisioning and economic integration. The analysis of self-provisioning relies on the assumptions that i) production and consumption decisions cannot be analysed separately when they are attributed to the same entity and that ii) family farm strategic choices are influenced by both business outcomes and household's welfare. The analysis of economic integration hinges on Polanyi's categories of market, reciprocity and redistribution as the three main modes of economic integration of a farm within its environment. We have collected information from a range of farmers in the Lucca province (northern Tuscany, Italy) and key stakeholders, through interviews, focus groups and field visits. The results of our analysis highlight the different ways small farms' contribution to FNS in relation to each mode of economic integration adopted by the small farms. The different forms of this contribution can be identified at two levels: i) internal to the farming household and ii) external (i.e. referred to the community and broader society). A concept of food quality encompassing local sustainability, cultural heritage and social cohesion, is crucial to valorise, through appropriate policies, the specificities of small farms' contribution to FNS.

The lack of financial resources and the constraints about interventions are threatening the survival of built heritage and the multiple benefits it can provide. In time, the role of building conservation has changed from preservation to being part of a sustainable strategy where adaptive reuse may allow to protect built heritage, while promoting it as a resource. This paper presents the results of a multicriteria analysis applied to the case study of Certosa di Pisa in Calci (Tuscany), a former Carthusian Monastery currently run as a publicly owned museum center. Based on information gathered from literature and the involvement of the two main stakeholders, a SWOT analysis was performed to identify three scenarios in which new functions were introduced with the aim to cover restoration and maintenance costs. Scenarios were compared by using a participatory MCA, taking into account not only economic performances but also cultural, territorial integration and restoration co-impacts. Results show that it is possible to reach economic sustainability while conserving heritage values, but several criticalities may hinder the process. Conclusions discuss the suitability of the method in identifying sustainable reuse solutions and highlight the role of governance bodies and the problems related to their public and/or private composition.

Dietary supplements of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) containing trans-10, cis-12 CLA reduce milk fat synthesis in lactating goats. This study investigated effects of milk fat depression induced by dietary CLA supplements on the properties of semi-hard goat cheese. Thirty Alpine does were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups and fed diets with lipid-encapsulated CLA that provided trans-10, cis-12 CLA at 0 (control), 3 (CLA-1), and 6 g/d (CLA-2). The experiment was a 3 x 3 Latin square design. Periods were 2 wk in length, each separated by 2-wk periods without CLA supplements. Bulk milk was collected on d 3 and 13 of each of 3 periods for cheese manufacture. The largest decrease (23.2%) in milk fat content, induced by the high dosage (6 g/d per doe) of trans-10, cis-12 CLA supplementation at d 13 of treatment, resulted in decreases of cheese yield and moisture of 10.2 and 10.0%, respectively. Although CLA supplementation increased the hardness, springiness, and chewiness, and decreased the cohesiveness and adhesiveness of cheeses, no obvious defects were detected and no significant differences were found in sensory scores among cheeses. In conclusion, milk fat depression induced by a dietary CLA supplement containing trans-10, cis-12 CLA resulted in changes of fat-to-protein ratio in cheese milk and consequently affected properties of semi-hard goat cheese.

No abstract