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In this paper we study the impact of regulatory complexity, a measure of institutional quality, on the GDP, on per capita income and on the growth rate of the Italian regions. For comparative reasons we also use the duration of civil disputes as a further indicator of institutional quality used in the regressions as an alternative to the indicator of regulatory complexity. From the theoretical point of view, we use the approach of negative co‐ordination externalities, among the four sources of regulatory production that are at work at the same time. Our approach may be applied in all the countries with a multi‐level government system. Using the random effects and quantile regressions models we are able to quantify the effects of an improvement in institutional quality on the GDP and the growth rate, making a comparison between the results obtained using regulatory complexity or the duration of civil disputes as covariates. We also check for spatial dependence among variables. Econometric analysis supports the theoretical assumption that regulatory complexity is an impediment to the growth of regional GDP and per capita income. The main finding of our analysis is that a reduction in regulatory complexity would be more effective than a reduction in the duration of civil disputes in increasing the income and growth rate. This result could be useful for the policy‐maker because by reducing regulatory complexity we may obtain a considerable by‐product in the shorter duration of civil disputes.

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Several factors are deemed to influence farms' economic performance and competitiveness: endogenous characteristics, such as farm structure and entrepreneur's features, as well exogenous factors related to the infrastructure endowment, networks and immaterial factors. A deeper knowledge of the role each factor plays in different geographical areas can help to better address the rural policies and to improve their efficacy. In this respect, the present study aims at analyzing how factors that potentially affect competitiveness differ within Italian agriculture and the way those factors act on the economic performance of agriculture at provincial level. The analysis was carried out in two steps. First, in order to define the main characteristics of the Italian agricultural systems a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has been carried out using data collected by the last Italian Agricultural Census, carried out in 2010, at provincial level and component scores have been used to characterize provincial agricultural systems. In a second step, PCA results were used as explanatory variables in regression models to evaluate their relationship with agricultural productivity and performance indicators at provincial level. The work highlighted two main results. First, agricultural differentiation factors identified in the PCA discriminate two main territorial agricultural models linked to different agricultural systems organization and development strategies. Secondly, the determinants of agricultural productivity and performance are mainly endogenous to the sector and only few context indicators seem to act as explanatory variables.

Abstract:The reduction of carbon emissions is a worldwide global challenge and represents the objective of many scientists that are trying to modify the role of carbon, turning a problem into an opportunity. The potential of CO 2 capture and storage by vegetal species is significant because of their capacity to absorb exceeding carbon emission. The purpose of the present paper is to draw a picture of the role of vegetal ecosystems on carbon fixation by identifying the most significant scientific contributions related to the absorption by vegetal species. In particular the aim of this paper is to examine different forms of CO 2 sequestration made by plants and crops involved in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Results highlight the important role played by agricultural soils, forests, perennial plants, and algae, looking at the overall reduction of carbon emissions. In addition, results show that some bioenergy crops allow substantial storage of carbon dioxide, providing a significant contribution to climate change mitigation.