The relationship between agriculture and environment is very complex and continuously evolving. The agricultural production system is based on the permanent interaction with the surrounding environment, from which it draws the necessary resources for the production (soil, factors of production, renewable and fossil energy, etc.).
Therefore, the agricultural activity is characterized by positive or negative impacts on the environment.
A global evaluation approach of the production system gives the opportunity to obtain an analysis of the reciprocal relationships existing among the different factors involved and to highlight the agricultural-environmental "consistency" of the production.
The global evaluation of the production system, when compared with a sectorial analysis or the analysis of the application of certain practices, gives the opportunity to highlight the interactions among the various factors of production (at various levels) and their impact on the environment.
The method introduced by Ticino Park uses and adapts an evaluation method developed in France (DIALECTE) and used also in Austria (ECO POINTS).
This system enables the evaluation of the production processes of the holdings according to criteria enhancing virtuous agricultural practices when compared with the traditional applied techniques.
The global evaluation of the production system is divided into three main themes: