Recognition of farming communities through Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

Since 2005, the Agricultural Planning, Economic and Rural Development Research Institute (APERDRI), a public research institute under the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the provincial local government units, farming communities and the World Agricultural Heritage Foundation (WAHF), have engaged in identifying Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in Iran. The overall goal of GIAHS is to mobilize global recognition and national support for farmers’ and indigenous communities’ contributions to safeguarding and dynamically conserving agricultural biodiversity and their goods and services. In the course of the identification process, farming systems are assessed based on five criteria, including their contributions to (1) food and livelihood security; (2) biodiversity for food and agriculture ; (3) local and traditional knowledge systems; (4) culture, value systems and social organization; and (5) remarkable landscapes features. Farming systems that pass the assessment can be recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Iran is a country with a long history of agricultural civilization; to date, three traditional agriculture: Saffron Qanat-based Agricultural Heritage System; Pomegranate Qanat irrigated Agricultural Heritage System; and MA layer Grape Production, are recognized as GIAHS sites.