Italian FADN-Based Research: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Directions

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of studies based on the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) over the period 2015–2026. Following a PRISMA-informed review process, 112 peer-reviewed articles retrieved from Scopus were qualitatively analysed. The review identifies six main research domains, ranging from farm economic performance and efficiency to environmental sustainability, policy analysis, diversification, and social-territorial dimensions. The results show that Italian FADN-based research is characterised by a well-established body of work on income dynamics, farm efficiency, and the impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), alongside the rapidly growing literature on environmental sustainability, climate change, resource use, and agroecological transitions. The main gaps concern the reliance on proxy-based environmental indicators, the fragmented and weakly conceptualised treatment of social sustainability, the limited analysis of trade-offs and synergies across sustainability dimensions, the limited understanding of farmers’ decision-making processes and behavioural responses, the marginal treatment of farm-level innovation, and the limited and fragmented analysis of circular economy initiatives and their impacts on farms and territories. These gaps point to the need for more integrative approaches, improved environmental and social indicators, stronger longitudinal and comparative designs, and greater attention to territorial, innovation, and circular economy dynamics. The review’s scientific contribution lies in consolidating a fragmented evidence base into a coherent analytical framework that clarifies the thematic evolution, structural imbalances, and methodological priorities of Italian FADN-based research. From this perspective, the transition from FADN to the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) is interpreted as a chance to extend farm-level analysis beyond economic monitoring and towards a more integrated assessment of agricultural sustainability.