Un’analisi esplorativa dei distretti rurali della Campania

The district approach has gained increasing relevance for analyzing and planning local rural and agro-food systems, aligning with the widely shared need to implement territorialized or place-based development policies. In Italy, this approach has been revitalized by recently introduced national and regional regulations, leading to the establishment of food districts, a macro-category encompassing various district typologies. This paper explores the seven recognized rural districts (DIR) of Campania Region, as defined by Decree 54/2020. The objective is to investigate the characteristics, purposes, and spatialization criteria of these emerging local governance spaces, emphasizing distinctive features and critical aspects. To meet this aim, we use a mixed methodology, which combines a context analysis of the designated areas with an examination of the documentation submitted to the Region for recognition, supplemented by information on the districts' websites and social networks.