Worldwide, specific agricultural systems and landscapes have been created, shaped and maintained by generations of farmers and herders based on diverse natural resources, using locally adapted management practices. Building on local knowledge and experience, these ingenious agri-cultural systems reflect the evolution of humankind, the diversity of its knowledge, and its profound relationship with nature. These systems have resulted not only in outstanding landscapes, maintenance and adaptation of globally significant agricultural biodiversity, indigenous knowledge systems and resilient ecosystems, but, above all, in the sustained provision of multiple goods and services, food and livelihood security and quality of life.

In order to safeguard and support world’s agri-cultural heritage systems in 2002 FAO started an initiative for the conservation and adaptive management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage systems (GIAHS). The initiative aims to establish the basis for international recognition, dynamic conservation and adaptive management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and their agricultural biodiversity, knowledge systems, food and livelihood security and cultures throughout the world.

The GIAHS initiative has identified pilot sites in Peru, Chile, China, Philippines, Tunisia, Algeria, Kenya and Tanzania. In these pilot systems dynamic conservation management approaches will be developed and implemented, to assist national and local stakeholders in the conservation and adaptive management of the systems and their components.

The initiative shall promote dynamic conservation approach that:

• allows farmers to nurture and adapt the systems and biodiversity they have developed while  ensuring food security and human well-being;
• supports protective government policies and incentives while working for in situ conservation of biodiversity and traditional knowledge;
• recognizes the right to food and the cultural diversity and achievements of local communities and indigenous peoples.
• Crystallizes the need for approaches that integrate the in situ conservation of genetic resources with related traditional knowledge and local institutions for natural resource management, as a way to ensure continuous co-adaptation to a changing physical and socio-economic environment, by strengthening the social-environmental resilience and co-evolutionary balance of agricultural systems.

The initiative will serve as basis for a long term programme through which Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) of the world will continue to be identified, documented and internationally recognized and specific policies and actions programs will be devised for their dynamic conservation and adaptive management.