Maria Valentina Lasorella (*1984), in Italy, graduated at the Faculty of Agriculture (University of Pisa) and earned a PhD in Agriculture and Rural Development at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa).Currently she is a Research Assistant of INEA (National Institute of Economic Agriculture) and works in the area of agricultural and rural development with a focus on the evaluation of environmental impact indicators. She has contributed to research projects financed under the Med Programme and the 6th Research Framework Programme.