| Title | Integrated system of camelid livestock and agriculture in northern Chile’s High-Andean and Pre-Andean regions |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In northern Chile, Aymara, Quechua, and Likan Antay communities have sustained for millennia a resilient system integrating camelid herding, native crops, and traditional water governance. Women play a key role in seed conservation, food processing, and knowledge transmission. This system ensures food security, conserves agricultural biodiversity, and supports collective management of fragile Andean ecosystems under extreme environmental conditions. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Budget | GEF |
| Title | Ancestral system of the Pehuenche mountain range: homegardens, gathering and transhumance in the Ngulumapu territory |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In the southern Andes of Chile, Mapuche-Pehuenche communities have developed a resilient agricultural system combining homegardens, wild plant gathering, and transhumant livestock. Rooted in ancestral knowledge, seasonal rhythms, and a deep connection to the pewen (Araucaria araucana), the system supports food security, protects biodiversity, and promotes sustainable use of mountain ecosystems shaped by centuries of Indigenous stewardship. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Budget | GEF |
| Title | Sustainable Water Management and Agricultural, Forestry, and Livestock System Readapted from Tatara Ironmaking in the Okuizumo Area |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In Japan’s Okuizumo region, degraded soils from former iron sand mining were transformed into terraced rice fields nourished by centuries-old, community-managed irrigation canals. Farmers combine rice cultivation, forestry, cattle grazing, and buckwheat farming in a circular system that reuses local resources. This integrated model sustains biodiversity, food, and culture in a resilient mountain landscape shaped by tradition. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | The Stone Terraced Mikan Orchard System of Arida-Shimotsu Region, Wakayama Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In the mountainous Arida-Shimotsu region of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, farming families have cultivated mikan (Citrus unshiu) for over 400 years. Their stone terraced orchards, adapted to steep slopes and humid subtropical conditions, support diverse mikan varieties and maintain vital soil and water functions. Rooted in small-scale family farming, this system preserves traditional knowledge, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Lemon Orchards and the Terraced Agricultural System in Amalfi |
|---|---|
| Introduction | On the steep terraces of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, farming communities have shaped a striking landscape of lemon groves, olive trees, and vineyards overlooking the sea. Through dry-stone walling, rainwater harvesting, and manual cultivation, they sustain a biodiverse, low-impact system rooted in centuries of knowledge. This resilient heritage supports livelihoods, protects soil and water, and preserves the identity of Mediterranean mountain agriculture. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Almosi Valley: an integrated agropastoral system adapted to mountain conditions |
|---|---|
| Introduction | This integrated agropastoral system in Tajikistan’s Almosi Valley combines seasonal transhumance of sheep with the cultivation of grapes, cereals, orchards, and vegetables across harsh mountain landscapes. Shaped over centuries, it supports food and livelihood security, conserves agrobiodiversity, and preserves cultural heritage. Rooted in ancestral knowledge, it sustains resilient communities facing soil erosion, water scarcity, and climate variability. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Montado Agrosilvopastoral System of the Serpa Hills |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In southern Portugal, the Montado da Serra de Serpa stands out as one of Europe’s oldest agrosilvopastoral systems, where cork and holm oak woodlands are managed with remarkable ecological awareness. Through low-intensity and extensive grazing, dryland farming, and forest stewardship, communities have shaped a multifunctional landscape that conserves biodiversity, sustains rural economies, and embodies a Mediterranean model of climate resilience and land restoration. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Traditional Jukbangryeom Fishery System in Jijok Straits |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In the tidal waters of Korea’s Jijok Straits, the Jukbangryeom system uses bamboo fish weirs to harvest anchovy without fuel, bycatch, or habitat damage. Practiced for centuries, it reflects traditional ecological knowledge and a semi-agricultural coastal lifestyle. This low-impact system sustains biodiversity, livelihoods, and cultural identity in harmony with fish migration. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Pinetree Agroforestry System in Ul-Jin |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In Uljin, Republic of Korea, farming communities have developed a unique pine-based agroforestry system adapted to mountainous terrain and coastal climates. For generations, red pine forests (Pinus densiflora) have been co-managed with beekeeping, mushroom foraging, dryland farming, and traditional salt production. This integrated system sustains biodiversity, rural livelihoods, and forest health, while reflecting deep ecological knowledge and cultural heritage. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Fuding White Tea Culture System in Fujian Province |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In Fuding, China, centuries-old white tea cultivation blends ecological wisdom and craftsmanship. Centered on the Lüxueya mother tree and natural withering techniques, this system integrates tea gardens with forests and crops, preserving biodiversity and supporting rural livelihoods. Deep cultural roots, rituals, and traditions reflect a strong bond between people, tea, and the land. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System in Gansu Province, China |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In Shichuan, a 600-year-old agroforestry system thrives along the Yellow River, where towering pear trees are cultivated using the traditional “Gaotian” method. Integrating fruit trees, crops, and livestock, it preserves ancient varieties like Ruan’er and Dongguo. Resilient to droughts and floods, the system sustains agrobiodiversity, food security, and rural livelihoods, reflecting harmony between tradition and ecology. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Agricultural Systems in Jable and Volcanic Sands in Lanzarote Island |
|---|---|
| Introduction | On the arid island of Lanzarote, where black volcanic fields evoke a lunar landscape, farmers have created a striking agricultural system. Using volcanic lapilli (enarenado) and sea sand (jable) to capture moisture and protect the soil, they cultivate grapes, sweet potatoes, and legumes—without irrigation—sustaining biodiversity, livelihoods, and cultural heritage in one of Europe’s driest regions. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Deqing Freshwater Pearl Mussels Composite Fishery System in Zhejiang Province |
|---|---|
| Introduction | In Deqing County, China, farmers have sustained an 800-year-old fish-mussel co-cultivation system that merges aquaculture, agriculture, and craftsmanship. Centered on Shelled Pearl Mussel techniques, it yields pearls, rice, silk, and more. This circular system enhances biodiversity, food security, and cultural heritage, offering global insights into sustainable farming, ecological balance, and rural development. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Metepantle Ancestral Agricultural System in the Mountainous Zones of Tlaxcala, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Introduction | For over 3,000 years, farming families in Tlaxcala have sustained the Metepantle system, a terraced mosaic of maize, agave, beans, squash, and wild plants. Rooted in Nahua knowledge, it preserves seeds, supports dryland biodiversity, and anchors local food systems and livelihoods, offering resilience and cultural continuity in one of Mexico’s most climate-vulnerable regions. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Shade-grown Erva-mate: a traditional agroforestry system in the Araucaria Forest of Parana |
|---|---|
| Introduction | For centuries, Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities in southern Brazil have cultivated erva-mate in shaded agroforestry systems rooted in ancestral and agroecological practices. By integrating food crops, native fruits, and forest products, the system strengthens biodiversity, food sovereignty, and cultural identity, while helping conserve the Araucaria Forest, one of the planet’s most endangered biodiversity hotspots and a vital reservoir of life. |
| Start date | 2025 |
| Title | Jeju Batdam Agricultural system |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Batdam, black stone fences, are the result of the ingenuity of Jeju inhabitants to survive in a windy volcanic Island. Utilizing the stones, 22,000 kilometer of fences have been built and has survived natural disasters for over 1,000 years. It prevents winds, loss of soil and preserves the agricultural culture of Jeju. |
| Start date | 2014 |
| Title | Ayu of the Nagara River System |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Despite flowing through urban and residential areas, the pristine Nagara River that runs through the site’s centre boasts an abundance of clear, high quality water, and is also considered one of Japan’s three clearest rivers. The people of the region receive the river’s bounty and in turn strive to conserve it for future generations. |
| Start date | 2015 |
| Title | Managing Aso Grasslands for Sustainable Agriculture |
|---|---|
| Introduction | The Aso Grasslands are located in Aso region of Kumamoto Prefecture, which situates in the middle of the Kyushu Island in Japan. Aso region spreads around active volcanic craters and huge caldera. The Aso volcano has one of the world’s largest caldera stretching 18 km from east to west and 25 km from north to south. |
| Start date | 2013 |
| Title | Osaki Kôdo's Traditional Water Management System for Sustainable Paddy Agriculture |
|---|---|
| Introduction | The Osaki region has developed as a paddy agriculture region by using the lowland swamps and wetlands that extend across the basins of Eai River and Naruse River. The region frequently experiences drought, is prone to flooding due to the topographical features of a landscape that rolls down from precipitous mountain areas to low gradient plains, and suffers cold temperature damage caused by the yamase, a cold and moist seasonal wind that is unique to the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region. |
| Start date | 2015 |
| Title | The Agricultural System Ancient Olive Trees Territorio Sénia |
|---|---|
| Introduction | "Territorio Sénia" has the highest concentration of ancient olive trees in the world. The existence of 5 000 ancient olive trees of native varieties and related knowledge and tradition makes this territory unique, offering numerous opportunities for rural development, including the recovery of abandoned ancient olive trees and utilization for production. |
| Start date | 2018 |