Pratiche di welfare e innovatori sociali nelle aree rurali: il caso della Regione Sardegna

This article investigates some rural welfare practices in the Sardinia region, afflicted by depopulation, economic crisis and reduction of public and social services, exploring the re-sults of a qualitative research on some case studies. Key aspects of these experiences include (i) the centrality of multifunctional farms within nested markets; (ii) the role of social inno-vators who become hubs for networks; (iii) the ability of local institutions to operate as insti-tutional entrepreneurs.