Sustainable Management of Globally Important Ingenious Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) PARVIZ KOOHAFKAN,

GIAHS: Heritage for the future Definition : Remarkable Land Use Systems and landscapes which are rich in biological diversity evolving from the ingenious and dynamic adaptation of a community/population to its environment and the needs and aspirations for sustainable development (FAO, 2002) Integrated Agricultural, Forestry, Livestock and Fishery systems Result of co-adaptation and co-evolution of plants, animals, humans and landscape under specific environmental circumstances Managed through highly adapted social and cultural practices and institutions Provide food and livelihood security and social, cultural and ecosystem services Important at local, national and global levels They are under threat

GIAHS are important for their contribution to: Food security, health and nutrition of many poor, helpless and isolated people Human kind and its Agri-”cultural” diversity Biodiversity and genetic resources Agro-ecosystem and landscape diversity Ecosystem services through functional diversity Products and services diversity Collective and individual Knowledge systems Resilience and adaptive capacity to changes

THEY ARE UNDER THREAT BCAUSE OF: Inappropriate policy, legal and incentive environments Neglect of diversified systems and local knowledge Low priority given to in situ conservation Low community involvement in decision making Population pressure and cultural change

Examples: Rice based traditional farming systems Maize and root crop based agro-ecosystems Taro based systems Pastoral transhumant and nomadic systems Ingenious irrigation and soil and water management systems of drylands (oasis and qanat) Multi-layered home gardens and agro-forestry system

NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF GIAHS EXISTS ACROSS THE WORLD Japan Peru Philippines Madagascar Indonesia

The overall objective of the GIAHS Partnership is to establish the basis for the global and national recognition, dynamic conservation and sustainable management of agricultural heritage systems and their associated biodiversity, knowledge systems and cultures

HOW ? At Global level by identification and selection/recognition and creation of World Agricultural Heritage category At National level by capacity building in policy, regulatory and incentive mechanisms to safeguard these outstanding systems and use them as sustainability bench mark systems At Local Level by empowerment of local communities and technical assistance for sustainable resource management, promoting traditional knowledge and enhancing viability of these systems HOW ?

Partners Www.Fao.Org/landandwater/giahs GOVERNMENTS, INDIGENOUS NETWORKS NGOS AND PRIVATE SECTOR FAO, UNDP, GEF, UNEP, IFAD, UNESCO, ICCROM IUCN, IPGRI and ISNAR (& other CGIAR), UNU/PLEC, GTZ, COMPAS; ILEIA; IAC Www.Fao.Org/landandwater/giahs www.fao.org/biodiversity FAO-Contact: Parviz.Koohafkan@fao.org & David.Boerma@fao.org

GIAHS is not about the past but the future

GIAHS IS BASED ON THE FIVE ASSETS OF RURAL SYSTEMS Natural Capital: nature’s goods and services (waste assimilation, pollination, storm protection, water supply, leisure, wildlife) Human Capital: the status of individuals - health, skills, knowledge Social Capital: cohesiveness of people and societies - trust, reciprocity, rules and norms, networks and institutions Financial Capital: money, savings Physical Capital: infrastructure

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GIAHS APPROACH Provide best-farmer practices for dissemination to other farmers and areas Provide detailed local knowledge on productive resources and environment (soils, rainfall conditions, etc) Provide locally adapted varieties Provide criteria for technology development (local goals and priorities, gender preferences, etc) Provide basis for testing new technologies and their goodness-of-fit to local systems and circumstances. Provide leads for identifying other opportunities for technology development

GIAHS DEVELOPMENT GOALS: Improving understanding of agriculture systems in their environmental, socio-economic policy and cultural dimensions Generating increased recognition of the global significance of agricultural systems Building the capacity of national and local institutions and providing support to promote dynamic conservation and sustained viability Conservation and sustainable use and, rehabilitation of agricultural biodiversity and genetic patrimony, ecosystem services and landscape diversity Recognition and safeguarding and of the resilience provided by the combination of knowledge systems and social organisation Mitigating threats of degradation and root causes of dysfunction and enhancing environmental and socio-economic benefits at local and global levels and; Adding economic, environmental and cultural value to products, artefacts and knowledge systems of GIAHS by supportive policies and incentives for their sustainability

What are the best options for the poorest? GIAHS and POVERTY REDUCTION: What are the best options for the poorest? Which work best for the poorest great success in past… but still 790 million people are food poor Key questions: to what extent can farmers improve food production with low-cost and locally-available technologies and inputs? What impacts do these methods have on environmental goods and services, and the livelihoods of people relying on them?

Biodiversity can be seen a a “life insurance policy for life itself” - Something specially needed in this time of fast-paced global change.

Thank you