Unused farmland in Italy: what to do with it and how the ISMEA Land Bank works

Unused farmland can be leased, sold or lent to someone who will farm it. People looking for land can check the National Agricultural Land Bank (Banca nazionale delle terre agricole) run by ISMEA (Italy's agri-food market services institute). Its ninth edition (2026) offers 253 plots covering 8,863 hectares, plus a permanent lot of 266 plots covering 5,271 hectares. The Bank sells land owned by ISMEA, the Regions and other public bodies.

How much land lies idle in Italy

In the 2020 census, unused agricultural area inside farms was 318,000 hectares. In 2010 it was 648,000: -50.9%. For ISTAT (Italy's national statistics institute) this is land temporarily not farmed, but usable with the farm's own means. It also includes abandoned areas not yet covered by shrubs or trees.

The figure covers active farms. Land that does not belong to any farm is not in this count.

Meanwhile, utilised agricultural area has fallen: 12.9 million hectares in 2010, 12.5 in 2020, 12.3 in 2023 (ISTAT, July 2026). Compared with 2010, the drop is 2.5% in 2020 and 4.4% in 2023.

Fewer and fewer farms work only their own land. In 2023 they are 48.8%. In 2010 they were 73.3%. The others use leased land or land lent for free, alone or together with land they own.

When land counts as uncultivated by law

Law 440 of 1978 on uncultivated land calls "uncultivated or abandoned" (incolte o abbandonate) land that is suitable for farming. This is land not used for agriculture for at least two farming years (art. 2). The Regions set the implementing rules (art. 1). They can assign this land to people who commit to farming it, after informing the owners (art. 5). Procedures vary from Region to Region.

The options for an owner of idle land

• Lease it. A lease to a direct farmer (coltivatore diretto) lasts at least 15 years (Law 203 of 1982 on agricultural contracts, art. 1). Different terms are valid if agreed with the assistance of the professional farmers' organisations (art. 45).
• Sell it. Before selling, the agricultural pre-emption right (prelazione agraria) matters: the direct farmer tenant and, in some cases, the neighbour can buy first on the same terms (Law 590 of 1965, art. 8; Law 817 of 1971, art. 7).
• Lend it for free. It happens: 5.9% of farms work only land lent for free, 3.9% of the utilised area (ISTAT 2023).

How the National Agricultural Land Bank works

The Bank was set up within ISMEA by Law 154 of 2016 (art. 16). Access is free, with registration on the portal.

There are two lots. The periodic lot contains land up to its third sale attempt. The permanent lot contains land left unsold, on which an offer can be made at any time.

In the ninth edition, the listings can be viewed from July. Offers on land in the periodic lot are accepted from 14 September to 14 November 2026. A deposit of 10% of the base price is required. Of the hectares on sale, Sicily accounts for 27%, Apulia for 12% and Tuscany for 10%.

Young buyers can pay in instalments, over up to 30 years, with a mortgage on the land. This applies to the first three sale attempts. A sole proprietorship needs an owner aged from 18 to under 41, set up no more than five years ago, with a farm VAT number. The land is sold as it is: the costs of bringing it into order fall on the buyer.

For your own case, ask your farmers' association or an adviser.

Do you have idle land and want people looking for land to farm to see it? List it for lease or sale on terreni.io.