Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

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Videos

17/05/2025

Hay milk production dates back to the origins of dairy farming in Europe. In the Alpine region, feeding ruminants with hay during the cold, vegetation-free season has sustained farming families for centuries. This tradition relies on permanent mountain grasslands, combining alpine pasture in summer with fresh grass and hay feeding, preserving landscapes and rural livelihoods.

17/05/2025

In Iran’s Fars province, Estahban leads global rainfed fig production with 2.6 million trees over 25,950 hectares. Home to 75% of Iran’s fig cultivars, its gardeners apply 250-year-old traditions and innovative water management to prevent erosion and ensure sustainability, showcasing the region’s key role in rainfed agriculture.

17/05/2025

Siwa oasis is an example of farmers’ ingenuity to adapt agriculture to very harsh climatic conditions. Situated in a very dry region, this oasis based on date palm agriculture combined with other crops such as olive trees and alfalfa, provides an effective way to grow food, livestock and preserve wild flora and fauna.

17/05/2025

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.

17/05/2025

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.

17/05/2025

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.

17/05/2025

No episódio inaugural do podcast "Vozes do Mate", Ana Paula Wenglarek e André Lacerda compartilham práticas tradicionais de produção de erva-mate sombreada no Paraná. Mediados por Renata Kempf, eles destacam a integração de saberes ancestrais, sustentabilidade e a conservação da Floresta com Araucária. Acompanhe essa conversa sobre cultura, economia e meio ambiente!ns.

23/12/2024

Watch FAO Indonesia Representative Rajendra Aryal on TVRI , where he explain how this system not only preserves biodiversity but also sustains local livelihoods and traditions.

19/05/2020

Over centuries, pastoralism has shaped and conserved the biodiversity and landscapes while buffaloes adapted to survive in the wetlands of Southern Thailand.

02/09/2024

Discovering the Programme and its role in preserving agricultural heritage.

28/08/2023

The Cocoa Agroforestry System occupies most of the agricultural area of the two main islands—the only inhabited ones—of the archipelago that makes up the country. It is a highly diversified agricultural system, which is the foundation of its economic and environmental sustainability.

11/05/2021

The agrosilvopastoral system home to the argan tree is now recognized as one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems by the FAO. So the unique characteristics and benefits of the Argan tree can be preserved and protected for future generations.

30/05/2024

Embark on a fascinating journey from South America, the birthplace of potatoes, to North African soils where potatoes can grow in the sand above sea water.

19/06/2016

The Archipelago of Chiloé, in the south of Chile, is one of the center of origin of potatoes and is an extraordinary biodiversity reserve: its temperate rainforests hold a wide range of endangered plant and animal species.

18/03/2020

In the Espinhaço Mountain Range of in the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil, a complex agricultural system has been developed as the result of a long co-evolution between traditional communities, known as the Sempre-vivas flower gatherers, and the surrounding environment.

30/04/2020

L’Horta de Valencia covers a surface of 28km2 including the Historical Huerta and a section of the Albufera National Park. It is formed by a systems of fields irrigated by the Turia river that has maintain its traditional features in a densely populated coastal region.

02/03/2018

The Valle Salado of Añana is an outstanding example of the interaction between humans and the natural environment in the creation of a salt producing agricultural system whose origin dates to Prehistory, more than 7,000 years ago, and which in the 21st century continues to enjoy great vitality.

05/12/2017

Called Black Dragon, Batdam is the result of the ingenuity of Jeju inhabitants to survive in a windy volcanic Island. Utilizing the stones, it is 22,000 kilometer of fences which have been built since 1000 years.

19/06/2020

In the Republic of Korea, the Damyang Bamboo Field is a unique agricultural heritage system. This site hosts 34% of Korean bamboo plants, combining traditional knowledge and innovation.

26/06/2020

In the Republic of Korea, the Damyang Bamboo Field is a unique agricultural heritage system. This site hosts 34% of Korean bamboo plants, combining traditional knowledge and innovation.