Regional workshop for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in Azerbaijan

In the frame of the European Union-funded project on the development of sustainable and inclusive local agrifood systems in north-west region of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Azerbaijan embarked on identifying potential agricultural heritage systems in its north-west region. This process started with a baseline research in 2020 to, ultimately, develop into an official proposal to the FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural heritage System’ (GIAHS) site. As the creation of the GIAHS proposal requires the collaboration of all stakeholders, including the local producers, farmers, and government authorities, awareness raising about GIAHS concept in Azerbaijan, especially the target region, is fundamental.

The first international GIAHS workshop in Azerbaijan is thus an opportunity for local stakeholders and relevant authorities from the government to learn about the concept of GIAHS. Moreover, at this workshop, all partners and expert members of the national GIAHS working group can get familiar with the identification and designation procedures, as well as the implementation of GIAHS action plans from various designated sites, sharing similar characteristics to Azerbaijan’s north-west region.

Currently, the GIAHS identification procedure in the selected region is in the data collection phase for creating a proposal. The experiences shared by the workshop participants from designated GIAHS sites can provide ideas to Azerbaijan regarding the challenges of becoming a GIAHS site. 

Objectives of the workshop

• Raising awareness about the GIAHS concept and benefits of designation among local and national stakeholders and government representatives;
• Familiarizing relevant authorities, including the GIAHS working group, with the official procedures of becoming a GIAHS site and post-designation dynamic conservation activities;
• Sharing common challenges and solutions on the process of becoming a GIAHS site;
• Establishing connections among Azerbaijani stakeholders and other participants from designated GIAHS sites during the interactive Q&A sessions;
• Practicing participatory planning of the GIAHS action plan.

Presentations

Session 1.

BRDA /COLLIO/CUEI - A land of thousands of terraces
Denis Rusjan, BFUL, Francesco Marangon, UNIUD

Identification of a composite agricultural heritage system
Liu Moucheng, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Overview of the FAO GIAHS Programme
Yoshihide Endo, GIAHS Coordinator, FAO

Session 2.

Practical recommendations for a successful GIAHS journey
Celia Maria Puzzo and Aurelie Fernandez, GIAHS Secretariat, FAO

The agricultural system 'ancient olive trees' Territorio Sénia
María Teresa Adell and Jaume Antich, Mancomunidad Taula del Sénia, Spain

NIAHS system in Iran
Agricultural Planning, Economic and Rural Development Research Institute (APERDRI), Iran

GIAHS of Barroso - Portugal
Susan Luzio, Association for Development of the Alto Tâmega Region (ADRAT), Portugal

Session 3.

GIs and GIAHS: Definition, differences, synergies of the two systems
Sibylle Slattery, FAO

FAO's work and recommendations for legal, institutional areas in Geographical Indications system
Dmitry Zvyagintsev, Agricultural Policy Specialist, FAO (на русском языке)

The Biodiversity Friend ® standard
Enrico Ruzzier, World Biodiversity Association

GIAHS regional strategy for Europe and Central Asia 2022-2025
Marta Arnes Garcia, Consultant on GIAHS, FAO