Social innovation approach for addressing depopulation  

In Italy, biophysical pressures are part of the desertification equation. Yet, over time, demographic decline and land abandonment have assumed a growing influence, reshaping the conditions under which these physical processes unfold.  

The thinning of local populations, the ageing of rural communities, the gradual withdrawal of essential services, and the retreat of agricultural and pastoral practices, collectively weakens the everyday forms of land stewardship that historically mitigated environmental risk. In this altered socio-ecological landscape, vulnerabilities linked to soil degradation, hydrogeological instability, and biodiversity loss tend to become more pronounced.  

Because of this distinct socio-economic pathway, the Italian pilot does not introduce technological innovations. Instead, it focuses on social innovation as the main solution domain capable of revitalising local resilience, rebuilding relationships between communities and landscapes, and disrupting the abandonment–degradation cycle. Social innovation is therefore presented as a dedicated and coherent pathway fully aligned with TERRASAFE’s multi-actor principles and the broader objectives of Mission Soil.  

These processes reduce the community’s ability to care for landscapes, maintain ecological functions, and ensure sustainable land use. Addressing these challenges requires solutions capable of reactivating territorial capital, rebuilding social cohesion, strengthening local institutions, and fostering new forms of collective governance.