Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems: China, Mexico, Morocco and Spain get additional sites, along with the first one in Thailand.
Five new sites – a mushroom-growing area in China, a traditional Maya agroforestry system in Mexico, an ancient community linking pastoralists and farmers in Morocco, a diverse mountain agrifood system in Spain and a buffalo-centric landscape in Thailand – have been officially recognised as Globally Significant Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
According to the statement by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the sites were designated at a meeting of the GIAHS scientific advisory group held in Rome. Selection criteria state that sites should be of global significance, have value as a public good, support food and livelihood security, agro-biodiversity, knowledge systems, social values and culture as well as exceptional landscapes.
With the latest additions to the list of global agricultural heritage systems. FAO’s Global Agricultural Heritage Network now consists of 72 systems in 23 countries around the world. The first recognized site in Thailand marks the addition of a new country to the list.