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ProjectPromoting Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in Developing Countries and Japan - GCP/GLO/816 /JPN 2022
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No results found.In 2002, FAO launched the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Initiative. The initiative aims to safeguard the world’s threatened agricultural heritage by promoting the identification, conservation and international recognition of remarkable agricultural heritage sites and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity, knowledge systems and cultures. As of 2017, when the project was scheduled to start, of the 38 sites that had been designated as GIAHS , 26 were located in Asia and the Pacific, while there were only three in Africa and three in Latin America and Caribbean regions. The objective of the project was to promote GIAHS in the world by facilitating the increased number of GIAHS applications from various countries, especially in areas that were geographically under represented , as mentioned above. This would be achieved by inviting relevant government officials and other stakeholders to Japan, to take part in training sessions and be provided with learning opportunities on GIAHS activities in this country. However, it was necessary to reschedule some of the training programme , as at a certain point it was no longer feasible to invite trainees from abroad, due to the outbreak of COVID 19; therefore, embassy staff of the target countries based in Japan were invited instead. -
ProjectSiwa Oasis, Egypt. Proposal for Declaration as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)
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No results found.This document proposes to recognize and designate Siwa oasis in the northwestern Desert of Egypt as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Site (GIAHS) under the respective FAO program. Siwa is a globally significant in situ repository of plant genetic resources, especially of uniquely adapted varieties of date palm, olive and secondary crops that are highly esteemed for their quality and continue to play a significant role in rural livelihoods, both for nutrition and income. Situated in a r emote region of the Sahara, and surrounded by breathtaking desert landscapes, Siwa oasis is distinguished by a range of archaeological treasures that testify to the long history of the oasis at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, going back to Pharaonic and Ptolemaic epochs. Its long isolation from outside influences, a population tracing its origin to Berber civilization and speaking an indigenous language, and environmental constraints have given Siwa a unique local culture embodied by its mud-salt brick architecture, peculiar social institutions and a rich heritage of handicrafts. Challenges to oasis agriculture, biodiversity and cultural identity are currently effectively addressed by a number of national and local initiatives, including sustainable agricultural practices, improved irrigation management, the protection of wildlife in and around the oasis as well as sustainable tourism. -
Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetGlobally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Combining agricultural biodiversity, resilient ecosystems, traditional farming practices and cultural identity 2018For centuries, farmers, herders, fishers and foresters have developed diverse and locally adapted agricultural systems managed with time tested, ingenious techniques. These practices have resulted in a vital combination of social, cultural, ecological and economic services to humankind. “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems” (GIAHS) are outstanding landscapes of aesthetic beauty that combine agricultural biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and a valuable cultural heritage. Located in specific sites around the world, they sustainably provide multiple goods and services, food and livelihood security for millions of small-scale farmers. Through a remarkable process of coevolution of humankind and nature, such sites have emerged over centuries of cultural and biological interactions and synergies, representing the accumulated experiences of rural people. Unfortunately, these agricultural systems are threatened by many factors including climate change and increased competition for natural resources. They are also dealing with migration due to low economic viability, which has resulted in traditional farming practices being abandoned and endemic species and breeds being lost. In recognition of these global threats to family farming and traditional agricultural systems, 16 years ago FAO launched the GIAHS Programme. Aiming to strike a balance between conservation, sustainable adaptation and socioeconomic development, the GIAHS Programme helps identify ways to mitigate the threats faced from farmers as well as enhance the benefits derived by these systems. Through multi-stakeholder support, this approach aims to: provide technical assistance; boost understanding of the value of keeping alive sustainable agricultural knowledge; and promote agricultural products, agro-tourism and other incentive mechanisms and market opportunities. There are currently 50 GIAHS-designated sites in 20 countries around the world, with potentially many more to follow.
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