In recent years, the Po plain has lost thousands of hectares of arable land to urban sprawl. In Parma's Food Valley alone, one hectare is paved over every day, threatening the production of agri-business staples like parmesan cheese and ham. Thanks to efforts by experts like Luca Mercalli and Carlo Petrini, the costs and causes of the problem are under analysis in order to inform alternative models of urban development and land-use policies based on the experience of other countries like Germany and France, and of small Italian towns like Cassinetta di Lugagnano in the province of Milan.<%YOUTUBE=cd6f3cEgt8I&noredirect=1%>
