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The Coalition of Fragile Ecosystems (CoFE) is a global alliance of vulnerable communities in fragile ecosystems advocating for the protection of mountain and island ecosystems and the resilience of their populations.
Founded in 2017 by the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) and the Mountain Partnership during the 5th Mountain Partnership Global Meeting in Rome, CoFE is a mechanism intended to speed up progress on the 2030 Agenda by raising global attention and prompting tangible commitments in fragile ecosystems.
Building on the strong networks of the Mountain Partnership and the Global Island Partnership, which spans over 101 countries, CoFE welcomes partners and sponsors committed to sustainable development in these ecosystems.
Food and tourism for fragile ecosystems
Agriculture plays a vital role in rural livelihoods, creating economic opportunities and jobs, particularly for communities in remote mountain and island areas. It bridges culture and traditional practices with biodiversity and ecosystem conservation while promoting economic growth and the sustainable management of cultural heritage and natural resources.
Smallholder farmers in these regions face challenges in maintaining profitability, often requiring additional income through secondary activities. Sustainable tourism can help by supporting rural livelihoods, protecting the environment and preserving cultural landscapes. Recognized by the United Nations in 2017 as a key driver of sustainable development, tourism shows great potential to contribute to these goals.
When managed sustainably, tourism supports ecosystem conservation and rural livelihoods. However, mass tourism risks eroding cultural values, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive, low-impact tourism models to ensure long-term benefits. This project helps promote sustainable tourism in mountain and island ecosystems by:
The "Palau Sustainable Tourism Value Chain Program" supported the government of Palau in increasing sustainable tourism through the "Carbon Neutral Destination Program" and the "Km0 Food Initiative".
Implemented in collaboration with Palau's Ministry of Tourism, Slow Food and Sustainable Travel International (STI), the project mapped Palau’s tourism value chain, including flows, stakeholders, suppliers and food systems. It also studied Palau's agricultural and gastronomic biodiversity, connecting tourism providers with local women’s producer groups. These groups received training in technical, entrepreneurial and marketing skills to help promote and sell their products through tourism channels.
The project also estimated the tourism industry’s carbon footprint and developed a Carbon Calculator for the Palau Bureau of Tourism, paving the way for Palau to become the world’s first Carbon Neutral Tourism Destination.
Watch the video to learn more.
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The "Food and Tourism for Mountain Development" project in the Philippines, implemented with the Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) and Slow Food, connected small-scale producers with tourism providers to promote high-quality mountain products.
Key activities included:
Two products—Itogon Arabica Coffee and Kalinga Ulikan Red Rice of Pasil—were launched with Mountain Partnership Product narrative labels at the WOFEX Manila Forum.
The project aims at developing short sustainable tourism itineraries focused on local gastronomy and sustainable organic agriculture in seven Pacific SIDS (Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Tonga and Vanuatu). These itineraries, offered to tourists through a variety of existing platforms, will open up alternative sources of income for smallscale producers in the selected countries while, simultaneously, raising awareness amongst global consumers regarding the issues and challenges faced by organic smallholder producers and their key role as guardians of fragile ecosystems and landscapes.
Monash University and Sapienza University of Rome are collaborating to compile a catalogue of food and medicinal forest plant species unique to Melanesia (Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea) and to conduct a strategic assessment to identify the species with the highest commercialization potential.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland supports the project through the funding of the component entitled "Enhanced income opportunities for women in agrifood value chains in Palau in the tourism sector".
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