The FAO GIAHS sites in Europe in collaboration with Soave team up and look to the future

The GIAHS sites of the FAO are ecosystems in which agricultural production management using traditional techniques is not only a source of livelihood for the population, but it is also a way to preserve landscapes that have been shaped by generations of farmers. One of these for Italy, and for wine, is Soave and its vineyard hills, which has become a worldwide reference point. Consequently, the Consorzio del Soave has decided to coordinate the first public meeting, via web, to bring the value of these territories to the forefront (for Italy, among others, also the Olivata Range in Spoleto and Assisi, and at the European level, there are the Valle Salada de Anana, the olive groves of Senia and the vegetable gardens of Valencia and Malaga in Spain, or Barroso in Portugal). Above all, it is fundamental to create a network system to be able to share experiences, as well as looking for funding opportunities together on European projects, especially in light of the new CAP, now being discussed on the European Commission. Protecting sustainability, and not just the environment, must be considered a priority as well as studying the immediate problems and future risks. There are, in fact, several threats to these ecosystems, such as soil erosion, new generations that are abandoning agriculture and new diseases and insects that are creating losses in crops.
There is a very real need to pay greater attention to these places that preserve the history and tradition of European agriculture, and are examples of their resilience and their ability to resist over time. One of the shared opportunities is the dialogue with UNWTO, the global tourism organization, about a program regarding sustainable rural tourism. This is an opportunity that in other GIAHS sites has significantly increased both the prices of the goods produced as well as creating great benefits for related industries. The meeting that the Soave Consortium has coordinated is only the beginning of a path that will motivate European sites to meet every six months to discuss future actions, in coordination with the European Union, as well.