The Local Food Processing House: a social innovation for rural development in Campania

Social innovation assigns importance to the social and relational aspect of the community development linking it to social interactions and cooperation. Collective actions are crucial not only to promote new solutions to the problems generated by the globalization and the financial crisis in rural areas, but also in supporting community resilience. This study focuses on an experience of social innovation in a southern Italian community, Caggiano, who has built around food a new path of development. The work analyses the mechanisms displayed and employed by the community to achieve cohesiveness and trust among different local actors and highlight how the social innovation implemented played a crucial role in promoting the development and the sustainability of the community.