MCF

One of the single biggest contributors to capital in Italy, as we have seen, is the harvest and production of timber and timber products within the Val di Fiemme.  As we spent our time in Cavalese, you could see the vastness of forest along the mountains and throughout the valley.  Soon we came to learn that nearly 45,000 hectors of timber is harvested annually within the Val di Fiemme alone!  As a class we took a tour of a local saw mill and timber production facility where the stacks of wood and stripped trees covered what seemed like acres of storage.  It was pretty remarkable to learn not only how much wood is harvested and what it is used for (instruments, toys, crates, pallets, etc.), but how much of the local production stays within the Italian economy.  Nearly 80% of all of timber production coming out of the Magifica Comunita di Fiemme (MCF) is sold back to the Italian market and used to boost local business efficiency.
Quite possibly the most amazing thing about the MCF, is that it has built a way to be sustainable, profitable, economically diverse, and available to give back to the community; all while being run by the people.  In essence, it is a small government seen through a socialist lens and where other similar entities have failed, the MCF has succeeded. First and foremost, the rules and regulations set down by the founders of the Comunita (circa 16th century) have in fact been sustained and improved, and are still in effect today.  The most common of these rules are the time limit one must live within the valley before being able to join the Comunita.  Another being that a strict limit of harvest is set below the annual growth rate, ensuring that regrowth and sustainability is achieved.  The list goes on.  It has been structured almost as a government, being composed of 11 elected officials from villages around the valley making up the board, and a president, all of whom have a say in making the primary decisions concerning the Val di Fiemme.
Explicitly pertaining to economics, as this class strives to focus upon, the MCF shows clear command of setting profit goals, attaining those goals, and using the money either to reinvest within the community or give back to the community members (or for lack of a better word, "shareholders'").  The MCF has given millions of dollars back to the community in the form of; building a modernized hospital, granting educational scholarship opportunities, providing aid to the poor sector of the community, and much more.  The MCF proves to be a staple within the economy of the Val di Fiemme as well as Italy as a whole, providing more than just timber.  They provide jobs to more than 100 seasonal workers and keep other companies needing their wood in business during a time where the economy is not certain. As we read our article and tried to relate common aspects back to similar entities in the United States, we struggled to find any form of business or community proponent that follows the same structure as the MCF.  This is due to a number of things such as the intangible aspect of being a nationalized and proud country, but also because being as small of a country as Italy is, it is much cheaper for them to distribute business locally instead of abroad.
All in all, this community is a rarity in itself because of its long standing traditions and will continue to be as long as the members uphold the standards put in place by their predecessors and continue to give back and replenish the surrounding environment.