Agricultural Heritage: Contrasting National and International Programs in Brazil and Italy

Abstract

Agricultural systems comprise an interdisciplinary field that studies the complex dimensions of agriculture. They should not be characterized only by their agricultural value, as they are part of several social, cultural, geological, and historical domains. We carried out quantitative and qualitative research to present and compare the current state of agricultural heritage programs and their development in Brazil and Italy, contrasting with the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). To this end, the history and the extension of these programs and sites were recovered. Moreover, the agricultural landscape diversity, the development of the regions, research and outreach, along with the communities, entities and government bodies involved were identified. Through a combination and quality of technical assessment and communities’ description, the analyzed agricultural heritage programs prove to be an endless source of useful information to the definition of policies aimed at rural areas, in addition to serving as a monitoring tool for many issues regarding biocultural diversity in landscape. Moreover, it shows where there is room for improvement while the countries are committed to engaging in national policies and entities on the promotion of agricultural heritage programs as major steps for investing in the “greening” of agricultural policies at different levels.

Evaluating the Ecological Sustainability of Agrifood Land in Ethnic Minority Areas: A Comparative Study in Yunnan China

“…As a result, issues such as reduced cereal yields, shortened planting seasons, water crises, and pest outbreaks have been identified, creating challenges to food security [17,18]. In response to changes in and protection of indigenous agricultural systems, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and governments are active in launching projects, such as Biocultural Refugia, the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) [19], the Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (NIAHS) in China [20,21], and the Agricultural Heritage Protection Program in Brazil and Italy [22]. Although these initiatives have demonstrated positive impacts on agrifood lands in ethnic areas through landscape conservation, food security, and the promotion of local cultural identity [23,24], their impacts are limited due to the small scale of the heritage sites.…”