Systèmes Ingénieux du Patrimoine Agricole Mondial (SIPAM)

#Read Now: Barroso presents annual report 2020

04 December 2020

 

Rome.- After two years of its designation as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, the Barroso Agro-sylvo-pastoral System presented its first report assessing the status of activities carried out in 2019-2020.

 The report presents the main activities developed after the designation as a FAO GIAHS site, the efforts made to promote it inside and outside the territory as well as the activities made to implement the activities foreseen in the approved action plan. The action plan is one of the commitments taken by the country at the time of its recognition as a GIAHS site.

Creating partnerships within and beyond frontiers

One of the most interesting activities implemented by the Barroso Site was the development of a Euro 1.4 million joint project established with other GIAHS sites in Spain (including L’Horta de Valencia) and other partnerships in France, a joint effort known as “VALSIPAM - Enhancement of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in the SUDOE space.”This European Programme supports regional development in Southwest Europe financing transnational projects through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Through the creation of a "Network of GIAHS territories" the project seeks to design, test and implement a "Tourism Evaluation Model", with innovative solutions to help reduce the extinction risks of these systems. This approach has added value for its transferability to other unique agricultural systems in the SUDOE space and also contributes to sustainable development due to its durability over time going beyond the project.

The report also details the active participation of several entities from the Barroso region such as the Municipalities of Boticas and Montalegre, Associação de Desenvolvimento da Região do Alto Tâmega (ADRAT), associations of producers, cooperatives, etc. 

Acknowledgment was made to the financial support of several European and national programs.  Without which  implementation of the action plan would not have been possible.

About Barroso Agro-sylvo-pastoral System
Barroso is a natural landscape composition of Northern Portugal, integrating part of the Peneda Gerês National Park, where the existing agricultural system is strongly influenced by the soil and climate conditions, with a predominance of smallholdings and cattle, sheep, and goat pastoral farming in the region’s agricultural economy, as well as pig farming, which contributes significantly to household economies and plays an important social role.   

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