Agricultural heritage: tackling climate challenges and building resilient communities
In 2024, the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme expanded its global network to 89 systems across 28 countries, designating three new systems that demonstrate the vital role of traditional agriculture in safeguarding biodiversity, addressing climate change, and sustaining rural livelihoods. Through its contributions to pivotal COP discussions in Colombia, Riyadh, and Azerbaijan, strengthened collaborations with UN agencies, and landmark gatherings in China and Spain, GIAHS highlighted how agricultural heritage connects culture, communities, and nature. These achievements underscore the power of traditional knowledge and innovation in creating solutions for the world’s most urgent environmental and social challenges.
The designation of three new GIAHS systems: Sao Tome and Principe’s cacao-based agroforestry system demonstrated the harmony between biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. Indonesia’s salak agroforestry system in Bali stood out as a model of sustainable farming integrated with community-based tourism. Meanwhile, Austria’s traditional carp pond farming system in Waldviertel showcased the balance between aquaculture and agriculture, preserving ecosystems while supporting rural development. These designations, accompanied by robust Dynamic Conservation Action Plans, underline the commitment of GIAHS communities to protect their agricultural heritage while adapting to modern challenges.
With a renewed Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), significant efforts were made to review additional nominations, update the guidelines, and lay the groundwork for monitoring, ensuring the continuous evolution and relevance of the programme.
Beyond these new designations, GIAHS made its presence felt on the global stage, contributing to pivotal climate and biodiversity discussions. At COP16 onDesertification, the programme showcased desert oases as living examples of adaptation, where centuries-old water management practices have mitigated the impacts of desertification while sustaining local cultures. During COP29 onClimate Change, GIAHS emphasized how fisheries-linked agricultural systems, like integrated rice-fish farming, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance biodiversity. At COP16 on Biodiversity, Colombia’s progress toward its first GIAHS designation highlighted the programme’s role in bridging biodiversity conservation and rural development.
At the 176th Session of the FAO Council, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu highlighted the flagship GIAHS Programme as an example of how FAO is "moving from vision to action" in transforming agrifood systems. The programme exemplifies efforts to create “a better environment and a better life—leaving no one behind.”
Additionally, in early December Director-General QU Dongyu visited the Thale Noi Wetland Buffalo Pastoral Agro-Eco-System in southern Thailand, the first site in the country to be designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). Recognized under the FAO programme in 2022, it is a place where communities have found a balance between livelihoods and taking care of the environment.
The importance of collaboration and shared learning was evident in two major workshops held during the year. In November, China hostedthe GIAHS Global GatheringunderFAO’s South-South and Triangular CooperationProgramme. This high-level meeting brought together representatives from 20 countries to exchange lessons learned and explore best practices. Similarly, theMediterraneanMeetingon GIAHS, held in Alicante in October, brought together 12 systems from Spain and North Africa. The workshop addressed shared challenges like climate change and the outmigration of younger generations, emphasizing the need for institutional support, sustainable tourism, and long-term investments.
Additionally, at the United Nations’ First Conference on Tourism for Rural Development in Viet Nam, GIAHS demonstrated how sustainable tourism can support rural livelihoods while preserving agricultural heritage. Examples from Italy, China, and Chile highlighted the integration of agrotourism with local cultures, offering innovative approaches to resilience and economic development.
GIAHS also strengthened its collaboration with other UN agencies through strategic initiatives. A partnership with ICCROM advanced the development of global monitoring indicators by drawing on best practices from UNESCO, while the joint work with the United Nations University revisited the GIAHS concept to align it with evolving international frameworks. Additionally, the programme launched efforts to create a guide for integrating sustainable tourism into GIAHS systems, helping communities diversify income sources while preserving their cultural heritage, in partnership with UN Tourism.
Knowledge exchange continued through online workshops, which expanded GIAHS’s reach to global audiences. A virtual seminar in April: Sustainable production and agrifood systems based on GIAHS approaches showcased sustainable agricultural practices from Austria, Tunisia, Japan, and Ecuador, highlighting the critical role of heritage agriculture in providing practical solutions to contemporary global challenges. In September, a hybrid workshop in Italy explored how traditional knowledge combined with innovation, featuring experiences from countries such as Philippines, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Spain.
As the programme looks toward 2025, GIAHS aims to build on its 2024 achievements. Key milestones will include the development of global monitoring indicators, the implementation of sustainable tourism guidelines, the celebration of FAO’s 80th anniversary with the inauguration of the FAO Food and Agriculture Museum and Network, and the GIAHS Award Ceremony. These efforts reaffirm GIAHS’s commitment to dynamic conservation and its role in inspiring global action for a sustainable future.
What is GIAHS?
The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, launched by FAO in 2002, is a flagship initiative under the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Environment. It recognizes and supports traditional agricultural systems that combine biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage, resilient ecosystems, and sustainable livelihoods. With 89 systems across 28 countries, GIAHS exemplifies FAO's commitment to transforming agrifood systems by integrating traditional knowledge with innovative practices to address global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and rural poverty.
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