Armando Maugini
Encyclopedia
Armando Maugini was an Italian agronomist
and tropicalist
. Maugini shaped and directed the activities of the Istituto agricolo coloniale italiano, presently the Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare
in Florence
for forty years.
After several years of agronomic field trials and extension in Libya
and laboratory research in Florence, he was appointed director of the Istituto agricolo coloniale italiano (Italian Agricultural Colonial Institute) in 1924. He worked there through the era of Italian colonial expansion, the Second World War, and the reshaping of the institute to its current form in 1953 holding the position of director until 1964, when his collaborator and friend Ferdinando Bigi was appointed as new director until 1968.
He ran the magazine L'agricoltura coloniale, later known as Rivista di agricoltura tropicale e subtropicale, and published several books and hundreds of articles on the topics dealt with by his institute. He enhanced staff technical skills and material endowments and established a net of collaborations with professionals and institutions worldwide. A shy and resolute man, pressing his resolutions with the touch of the countryside gentleman, Maugini was respected by colleagues and authorities, and enjoyed the trust of the farmer
s as well as of the international scientific and academic community.
Trained as an agro
-economist
, he worked in Africa
at the start of his career. He was appointed director of "Agricultural services" in the Cyrenaica
colony in eastern Libya
, studying the flora
and agricultural traditions of the Libyan society.
Back in Italy he organized the exploration and analysis of the natural and agricultural resources of tropical regions, assisting Italian agricultural colonization initiatives in Africa
and in the Eastern Mediterranean islands between the two World Wars, and later the migration
of Italian farmers to Latin America
. His hands-on approach to the African environment and human dynamics resulted in precious advice on the valorization of ethnic and traditional knowledge and skills and the integration of indigenous dynamics in the shaping of the plantation enclave economy, thus containing the amount of metropolitan farmers settling in the Italian colonies.
His legacy includes a rich archive and photographic documentation on the Italian presence and work in Africa, the Mediterranean islands and Latin America, as well as on the environment and agriculture of the tropical and sub-tropical regions, stored at the Documentation Center and the Photographic Archive of the Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare
.
Agronomist
An agronomist is a scientist who specializes in agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. An agronomist is an expert in agricultural and allied sciences, with the exception veterinary sciences.Agronomists deal with interactions between plants, soils, and...
and tropicalist
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
. Maugini shaped and directed the activities of the Istituto agricolo coloniale italiano, presently the Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare
Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare
The Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare in Florence, Italy, is a technical and scientific body of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.-History:...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
for forty years.
After several years of agronomic field trials and extension in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and laboratory research in Florence, he was appointed director of the Istituto agricolo coloniale italiano (Italian Agricultural Colonial Institute) in 1924. He worked there through the era of Italian colonial expansion, the Second World War, and the reshaping of the institute to its current form in 1953 holding the position of director until 1964, when his collaborator and friend Ferdinando Bigi was appointed as new director until 1968.
He ran the magazine L'agricoltura coloniale, later known as Rivista di agricoltura tropicale e subtropicale, and published several books and hundreds of articles on the topics dealt with by his institute. He enhanced staff technical skills and material endowments and established a net of collaborations with professionals and institutions worldwide. A shy and resolute man, pressing his resolutions with the touch of the countryside gentleman, Maugini was respected by colleagues and authorities, and enjoyed the trust of the farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s as well as of the international scientific and academic community.
Trained as an agro
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
-economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, he worked in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
at the start of his career. He was appointed director of "Agricultural services" in the Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
colony in eastern Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, studying the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and agricultural traditions of the Libyan society.
Back in Italy he organized the exploration and analysis of the natural and agricultural resources of tropical regions, assisting Italian agricultural colonization initiatives in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and in the Eastern Mediterranean islands between the two World Wars, and later the migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
of Italian farmers to Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. His hands-on approach to the African environment and human dynamics resulted in precious advice on the valorization of ethnic and traditional knowledge and skills and the integration of indigenous dynamics in the shaping of the plantation enclave economy, thus containing the amount of metropolitan farmers settling in the Italian colonies.
His legacy includes a rich archive and photographic documentation on the Italian presence and work in Africa, the Mediterranean islands and Latin America, as well as on the environment and agriculture of the tropical and sub-tropical regions, stored at the Documentation Center and the Photographic Archive of the Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare
Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare
The Istituto agronomico per l'oltremare in Florence, Italy, is a technical and scientific body of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.-History:...
.
See also
- AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
- Aureliano BrandoliniAureliano BrandoliniAureliano Brandolini was an Italian agronomist and development cooperation scholar.Born in Calolziocorte, Italy, after studying at Liceo Alessandro Manzoni high school in Lecco with Giovanni Ticozzi, he graduated in agriculture at the University of Milan in 1950 and specialized in plant breeding...
- Italian Colonial Empire
- Tropical agricultureTropical agricultureWorldwide more human beings gain their livelihood from agriculture than any other endeavor; the majority are self-employed subsistence farmers living in the tropics...