Countryside in Tuscany, Italy

Located along the Tyrrhenian Sea in Central Italy, Tuscany is one of the peninsula’s most beautiful regions and owes part of its reputation to its hills. Covered in vineyards, olive trees, and fields of barley and corn spotted with medieval villages, the hills of Tuscany gave of themselves to the region’s cities, providing the clay whose characteristic ocher-red pigment bears the name of sienna. Conscious of the gentle harmony of their landscapes, but also of the dangers of real estate speculation, mass tourism (44 million foreign visitors in 2007), and industrialization, Tuscans—European pioneers in this regard—have chosen to preserve their natural and cultural heritage and make it profitable by developing “agri-tourism.” Local businesses, particularly the trades (leather, marble, textile, and furniture) now gear themselves toward acquiring “SA 8000” certification, which attests to good social and environmental practices. Witness another approach to economic development