News

Second annual GROW Summer School ends

26.09.2019

The second, two-week Summer School on Agrobiodiversity in a Changing Climate concluded this week. Held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, the course included lecturers from NaturaSi, IFOAM Organics International and Slow Food, and a field trip to a nearby farm.

The Summer School focused on the significance of maintaining biodiversity in agriculture, especially because it enhances crop and farm systems’ resilience and adaptability to the effects of climate change.

“We should put food as absolute protagonist of the unfair food system and transform it in a good, clean and fair system,” said Emanuele Dughera from the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity.

Carlo Murer from EcorNaturaSi, Italy’s largest organic food retailer, added: "As a distribution company, we try to build a long-term relationship with farmers and create a community. We feel as responsible as the farmers."

The topic of agrobiodiversity is particularly relevant to mountain areas. Mountain farmers preserve many of the rarest cultivars in functioning biodiverse agro-ecosystems. Yet, the harshness of the environment, as well as the effects of climate change, increasingly pressures mountain communities to modify their traditional approaches to agriculture.

Many students found the course relevant to their work and learnt new skills. “Georgia is a mountainous country with high biodiversity and needs to be resilient against climate change and the loss of traditional knowledge. As a representative of local farmers and communities, I am attending the GROW Summer School to share international experiences and bring best practices to my country,” said Ilia Kunchulia, a Summer School student from the Georgian Farmers' Association.

“This course was important because there are not many courses that teach how to work and relate with farmers and, at the same time, to follow international policies,” said Marco Cannella, an intern at the University of Pavia. The course section which taught about applications of plant gerplasm banks was most beneficial to Cannella, who will take what he learnt at the Summer School and apply it to his everyday work.

“It was fantastic to see our 24 participants create long lasting networks and bring new knowledge and experiences to their home countries,” said Giorgio Grussu, Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) Project Manager and Coordinator of the GROW Summer School, in his closing remarks.

The Summer School was organized by Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology; Bioversity International; and the MPS, with the technical support of FAO.

Photo by Michelle Geringer