Seeds of heritage: safeguarding living agricultural treasures in Europe and Central Asia

27/02/2026

From mountain terraces and pastoral grasslands to centuries-old vineyards and salt-harvesting landscapes, a quiet but powerful movement is gaining momentum all around Europe and Central Asia. It is a movement that values not only what agriculture produces, but also how it is practised, where it comes from and whom it sustains.

The booklet Seeds of heritage: The journey of GIAHS in Europe and Central Asia, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, explores how traditional agricultural landscapes across the region are being recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) – and why they hold vital lessons for building more sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.

The genealogy of agricultural heritage

For generations, these landscapes have been shaped by communities living in close connection with their environment. Farmers, pastoralists and fishers have adapted to local geography, climate and natural resources, developing agricultural systems rich in biodiversity and rooted in knowledge passed down through families and communities.

Today, however, many of these living systems are under growing pressure. Climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss and rural depopulation are accelerating, while traditional knowledge risks being lost as younger generations move away from rural life and intensive agricultural models expand.

GIAHS are remarkable living landscapes shaped by the dynamic interaction between people and nature, integrating biodiversity, resilient ecosystems, traditional knowledge and cultural heritage while supporting local livelihoods and food security. Over centuries of climate variability, they have proven their ability to adapt and endure, reducing climate-related risks by maintaining agricultural biodiversity through time-tested traditional agricultural practices.

A GIAHS site is one that demonstrates the capacity – now and in the future – to ensure food and livelihood security while delivering important economic, environmental and social benefits grounded in agrobiodiversity, traditional knowledge and cultural heritage. The knowledge and practices embedded in these systems can inform national and global policies, supporting sustainable development through climate adaptation, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation.

GIAHS recognition helps traditional and family farming communities navigate globalization while safeguarding agroecosystem services. At the national level, it also encourages the integration of agricultural heritage into development programmes, promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity and genetic resources while strengthening rural communities.

A booklet of progress, challenges and opportunities

The publication takes stock of where the region stands today, highlighting achievements, identifying gaps and outlining opportunities for the future.

At its core is the 2022–2025 regional road map for GIAHS implementation, which provided guidance for countries in identifying, recognizing and conserving heritage agricultural systems and serves as a basis for future plans. It focused on three main pillars: the identification and recognition of heritage sites, bringing visibility to agroecosystems; natural capital maintenance, ensuring the protection of biodiversity, soils, water systems and ecosystem services; and territorial promotion and local economic development, using heritage value to support sustainable livelihoods.

The review shows that meaningful progress already has been made, citing as evidence successful examples from all over Europe and Central Asia. So far, 15 agricultural systems have been acknowledged as GIAHS in this region, and several additional agroecosystems have the potential to achieve this status.

Tajikistan: the trailblazer of Central Asia

In July 2025, the first GIAHS site was designated in Central Asia. Shaped over 3 000 years, a unique agropastoral system is found in the Almosi Valley of Tajikistan, where agriculture and culture meet between the Pamir-Alai Mountains and the Khanaka River.

This is a complex system of farmers and herders practising diversified agriculture and the transhumant grazing of native livestock and cultivating vineyards yielding the Pink Taifi Grape Hisori, a flagship product of the region. The system supports food self-sufficiency and a variety of livelihoods while conserving agrobiodiversity and ecosystems such as the Almosi Nature Reserve. All this is upheld by strong communal governance through mahalla committees in charge of managing land, resolving conflicts and maintaining cultural traditions.

The potential of the region: supporting biodiversity, livelihoods and sustainable practices

Europe and Central Asia are full of vast possibilities. Seeds of heritage: The journey of GIAHS in Europe and Central Asia recognizes a handful of agricultural systems that could, eventually, be determined as GIAHS sites. Across diverse landscapes, these systems reflect generations of accumulated knowledge, ecological adaptation and strong community ties, demonstrating the region’s remarkable potential to expand the GIAHS network.

In Zagatala, Gakh and Balakan in Azerbaijan, local agriculture flourishes within a diverse agroecosystem shaped by the transition between the Greater Caucasus Mountains and the subtropical lowlands. Zagatala hazelnut trees, tea plants, and persimmon and chestnut trees thrive alongside traditional sheep and cattle farming systems. These practices not only sustain rural livelihoods but also play a key role in soil conservation and biodiversity, illustrating how integrated mountain–lowland systems can serve as strong candidates for GIAHS recognition.

Similarly, the Lower Dniester Valley in the Republic of Moldova represents a traditional farming region rooted in sustainable land-use practices. Known for its organic vineyards, orchards and walnut groves, the area preserves indigenous grape varieties and centuries-old agricultural techniques. This combination of biodiversity conservation and rural economic resilience highlights the valley’s potential as a model heritage system within the region.

In Montenegro, the ancient katun tradition of transhumance embodies a centuries-old pastoral system in the Dinaric Alps. Here, Balkan Mountain cattle, Pivska Pramenka sheep and Balkan goats graze in high-altitude (1 200–1 800 m) summer pastures. This seasonal movement of livestock prevents overgrazing, supports biodiversity and sustains traditional dairy production, including the renowned Pljevaljski sir cheese. The katun system demonstrates how living pastoral traditions continue to shape resilient mountain socioecological landscapes with strong heritage value.

Further north, in the Vitebsk region of Belarus, flax agriculture remains central to the country’s historic linen industry. Through crop rotation and organic soil management, farmers maintain high-quality fibre production while safeguarding soil health. Local flax varieties contribute to ecological sustainability and rural livelihoods, underscoring how traditional crop systems can combine economic relevance with environmental stewardship.

Together, these examples illustrate the breadth and diversity of agricultural heritage across Europe and Central Asia – a region that holds significant untapped potential for future GIAHS designations.

The way forward

The publication outlines a clear path ahead. The next phase of work will focus on expanding and deepening dynamic conservation efforts by strengthening regional networks, building public–private partnerships, investing in capacity development and training, supporting market access for local and traditional products, and raising public awareness of agroheritage values.

In practical terms, this could translate into more producers adopting sustainable local practices, more consumers choosing traditional and high-quality products, and stronger institutional and governmental support through targeted policies and incentives, which would translate into more rural communities revitalizing local economies while preserving their landscapes, nature and identity. It also could mean more countries integrating the dynamic conservation of agricultural heritage into national strategies for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and inclusive rural development.

One of the publication’s central messages is that agricultural heritage systems are not static artifacts of the past but rather dynamic, evolving systems. They are “living laboratories” in which biodiversity, traditional knowledge, livelihoods and cultural identities intersect. For Europe and Central Asia, Seeds of heritage: The journey of GIAHS in Europe and Central Asia is a call to action, inviting farmers, communities, policymakers and consumers to recognize the value of agricultural heritage and invest in its future.