Technic

Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry 

The Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry are graduates coming from the faculties of Agriculture * who have sat and passed the Qualifying examination to practice this profession. 
When they have passed the examination, the Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry can register in one of the provincial Orders present on the Italian territory. 
Enrolment in the Professional Register gives the right to practice the Profession, both as an employed and as a self-employed worker.
Apart from a knowledge of the technical and professional aspects, the practice of the profession of Doctor of Agronomy and/or Doctor of Forestry involves respect for the ethical norms that, given the ever greater knowledge of social and environmental equilibriums, require a greater professional conscience. 
The practice of the profession of Doctor of Agronomy and Doctor of Forestry is regulated by Law 152/92 that establishes its spheres of competence.
In short, the profession of Doctor of Agronomy and Doctor of Forestry is practiced in the following sectors: 
I. Planning and consultation in the Agrarian and Forest sector; 
II. Planning and consultation in the Zootechnical sector; 
III. Planning and consultation in the Town Planning, Landscape, Naturalistic and Territorial Planning sectors; 
IV. Planning and consultation in the Environmental and Ecological Systems sector. 

In these sectors, the Doctors of Agronomy and the Doctors of Forestry have full and, often, exclusive competence as established and documented by Law 152/92. 

The Institutions of the Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry 

The Doctors of Agronomy and the Doctors of Forestry, in the practice of their profession, are subject to the utmost supervision by the Ministry of Justice which, in order to organize this profession in Italy, supervises it at three territorial levels: 
1. National Council of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry; 
2. Regional federations of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry; 
3. Provincial orders of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry. 

1. National Council of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry: 

It has its head office in Rome, near the Ministry of Justice, even if administrative activity is done in other centres, and it is composed of eleven members. The National Council of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry is elected directly every three years by the Councils of the Provincial Orders. 
The Council of the National Order has the role of supervising the provincial Orders and promotes and coordinates their activities. 

2. Regional federations of the Orders of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry: 

These are instituted in every Region and have their headquarters in the regional capital. 
The Regional Federation of the Orders of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry represents the Councils of the provincial Orders in their relationships with the political and administrative bodies of the Region in questions related to the practice of the profession; it coordinates the provincial Orders and promotes refresher and training courses for members of the Orders. 

3. Provincial Orders of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry: 

The Order of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry is established in every province where at least fifteen professionals are enrolled in the register. It has its office in the municipal capital.
The Council remains in office for three years and elects a President, a Vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer from within its ranks. 
The provincial Order has the role of protecting the interests of its professionals, updating the lists of members, authenticating fees and taking disciplinary measures as necessary. 

* with the Ministerial Decree 328/2001 that modifies and integrates the discipline of the organisation and the accession to the professional registers, the profession of DOCTOR OF AGRONOMY AND DOCTOR OF FORESTRY has been regulated through Sections and professional qualifications. 
There have been established a section A and a section B in the professional registers of the order of Doctors of Agronomy and Doctors of Forestry 
Those registered in section A are given the title of doctor of agronomy and doctor of forestry. 
Section B is further sub-divided into the following sectors: 
a) agronomist and forester; 
b) zoonomist; 
c) rural biotechnologist. 

Those registered in section B are given the following professional titles: 
a) junior agronomist and forester; 
b) zoonomist; 
c) rural biotechnologist. 

State Examinations for registration in section A and relative test

 
Registration in section A is subordinate to the passing of a State examination. For admission to the State examination, possession of a specialised degree in one of the following classes is required: 
a) Class 3/S - Architecture of the landscape; 
b) Class 4/S - Architecture and building engineering; 
c) Class 7/S - Rural Biotechnology; 
d) Class 38/S - Engineering for the environment and the territory; 
e) Class 54/S - Urban and environmental territorial planning; 
f) Class 74/S - Science and management of rural and forest resources; 
g) Class 77/S - Rural science and technologies; 
h) Class 78/S - Agroindustrial science and technologies; 
the) Class 79/S – agro-zootechnical science and technologies; 
j) Class 82/S - Science and technologies for the environment and the territory; 
k) Class 88/S – Sciences for cooperation in development. 
The state examination is organised in two written tests, a practical test and an oral. The tests of the State Examination for accession to section A concern the same topics established for accession to section B, but with greater complexity given the higher professional competence. 

The state Examination for registration in section B and relative test

 
Registration in section B is subordinate to the passing of the state examination. For admission to the state examination, the possession of a degree in one of the following classes is required: 
a) for the registration to the sector of agronomist and forester: 
Class 7 – Town Planning and the sciences of territorial and environmental planning; 
Class 20 – Rural, agroindustrial and forest sciences and technologies; 
b) for the registration to the zoonomist sector: 
Class 40 - Zootechnical and animal production sciences and technologies; 
c) for the registration to the rural biotechnological sector: 
Class 1 – Biotechnology. 

Guido Bissanti