Seeds of heritage: safeguarding living agricultural treasures in Europe and Central Asia

From mountain terraces and pastoral grasslands to centuries-old vineyards and salt-harvesting landscapes, a quiet but powerful movement is gaining momentum all around Europe and Central Asia. It is a movement that values not only what agriculture produces, but also how it is practised, where it comes from and whom it sustains.

The booklet Seeds of heritage: The journey of GIAHS in Europe and Central Asia, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, explores how traditional agricultural landscapes across the region are being recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) – and why they hold vital lessons for building more sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.