©©Arianna Bartolozzi
The annual Mountain Partnership Secretariat training programme “GROW – Agrobiodiversity in a Changing Climate: Sustainable Production, Fragile Ecosystems and Resilience to Global Changes”, focused on the crucial role of biodiversity in strengthening the resilience and adaptability of cropping and farming systems to climate change. Other themes included sustainable mountain agriculture, innovation in agrobiodiversity and urban farming, agroecology and organic certification systems.
Among the key highlights were case studies showcasing adaptive forest management methods implemented after disturbances in the Dolomite Mountains of the Alps, along with other successful agricultural models from the Alpine region. Participants also explored Altromercato’s business model for cocoa production in Ecuador, Madagascar and Togo, gaining insights into fair trade and sustainability in global supply chains. The course aimed to equip participants with practical tools to enhance productivity, strengthen value chains and develop marketing strategies in agrobiodiversity-based agrifood systems.
The course offered sessions with speakers from the Sapienza University of Rome, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, the Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, FAO, IFOAM – Organics International, Agroscope and Altromercato.
Sun Mi Lee, a participant from South Korea, shared the course's impact for her:
“Through the GROW programme, I gained new insights and connections that will help translate agrobiodiversity knowledge into tangible climate action”.
Other participants added:
“I learned how agrobiodiversity links to fair trade and sustainable food systems. It’s really useful for understanding global farming issues”.
“The visit to Tularù was really interesting – it showed how biodiversity can be integrated into real farming practices”.
“We explored the importance of agrobiodiversity across social, economic and environmental dimensions and how people and nature interact to enhance resilience and sustainability”.
GROW 2025 was organized by the Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology; Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); the Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research; and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, the course also received technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).The course took place from 30 September to 8 October 2025. 21 participants attended from 13 countries, marking the first in-person edition since 2019.
