Mountain pastures and local products in Southern Albania. Between production and resource management issues

The paper aims to present changes and current dynamics of mountainous pastoral systems in Southern Albania (Korca region) and to identify origin-based quality products as a strategy for sustainable rural development. According to the historical data (available or reconstructed through interviews), rapid and unregulated changes in mountainous productive systems within the post-communism transition threaten local natural resources and cultural landscapes. Changes are primarily due to massive out-migration of population and the consequent brutal disruption of social and productive fabric as also to the collapse of the ancient value chains without establishing a proper institutional context for the empowerment of livestock sector and a balanced management of mountain pastures. Nevertheless, the rapid growth of urban markets and the increase in sales of milk and meat coming from mountainous territories –perceived by consumers as of dis- tinct quality– create new perspectives for the studied region