A1: Agricultural Heritage Systems Master Course 2021-2022

The third edition of the Master course will be held completely online due to COVID limitations in international travels.

36 applications have been received from 12 AICS Priority Countries and other 5 applications from other 2 different countries.

19 students coming from AICS Priority Countries (Albania, Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mozambique, Peru, Tunisia) have been selected and participated in the master course.


A2: Identification of potential GIAHS sites in the Priority Countries of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

9 new potential GIAHS sites have been identified in the AICS Priority Countries:

  • Bolivia – Traditional Vineyards in the Community of Camargo Chuquisaca, Bolivia.
  • Lebanon – Anfeh sea salt production system. A potential GIAHS site in Lebanon.
  • Kenya – Kerio Valley as a potential GIAHS. Baringo County, Kenya.
  • Kenya – An assessment of GIAHS viability in Kaya Mijikenda Forests in Kenya, Kilifi County.
  • Mozambique – Agroforestry Monti Namuli, Mozambique
  • Mozambique – Magude Agro-Silvo-Pastoral System
  • Mozambique – Gurué’s Tea Agro System in Mount Namuli
  • Mozambique – Biodiversity conservation in the district of Manjacaze, administrative post of Chidenguele.
  • Peru – Characterization of the Agricultural Heritage System of Lares direct intervention zone, Cusco, Peru

6 student thesis have been implemented to produce final GIAHS proposals:

  • Cuba – Sustainable agricultural systems in mountain ecosystems of Sierra Maestra
  • Egypt – Traditional Agricultural system in the Nubian village of West Aswan
  • El Salvador – The Silvopastoral System of the Sabana de Morro in Dolores
  • Myanmar – Traditional Agricultural System of Bagan
  • Myanmar – Floating Gardens Agricultural System of the Inle Lake
  • Tunisia – The mountain Oases of Chebika, Tamaghza and Mides

A3: communication and dissemination of the results of the project and of the opportunities offered by the GIAHS program.

  • Management of the website and of social channels, editing of press releases, relations with the media.
  • Organization of two exhibitions “Looking for world agricultural heritage” in the framework of the Bright Night 24-26 September 2021, and “Discovering the potential Italian GIAHS sites” in the framework of the First Conference of Italian Historical Rural Landscapes, 5-7 November 2021.
  • Television report in the program “Geo&Geo” aired on RAI3 on 13/05/2022.

Scientific researches on international scientific journals:

  • Agnoletti M., Santoro A. (2022). Agricultural heritage systems and agrobiodiversity. Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-11.
  • Hernandez Marentes M.A., Venturi M., Scaramuzzi S., Focacci M., Santoro A. (2021). Traditional forest-related knowledge and agrobiodiversity preservation. The case of the chagras in the Indigenous Reserve of Monochoa (Colombia). Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-16.
  • Venturi M., Piras F., Corrieri F., Martinez Aguilar E.A., Santoro A. (2021). The multifunctional role of linear features in two traditional silvopastoral systems: the sabana de morro in Dolores (El Salvador) and the pastures with carob trees in Ragusa (Italy). Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-13.
  • Agnoletti, M., Pelegrín, Y. M., & Alvarez, A. G. (2022). The traditional agroforestry systems of Sierra del Rosario and Sierra Maestra, Cuba. Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-38.
  • Oo M.T., Aung Z.W., Puzzo C. (2022). The floating garden agricultural system of the Inle lake (Myanmar) as an example of equilibrium between food production and biodiversity maintenance. Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-18.
  • Farías L.P., González J.M.F., Díaz J.M.F., Balmori D.M. (2021). Traditional cultural landscape in Viñales, Cuba. Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-18.
  • Piras F., Zanzana A., Costa Pinto L.M., Fiore B., Venturi M. (2022). The role of the jessour system for agrobiodiversity preservation in Southern Tunisia. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31(10), 2479-2494.
  • Corrieri F., Piras F., Abou Assi M., Focacci M., Conti L. (2022). Terraced landscapes of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve (Lebanon): analysis of geomorphological variables. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31(10), 2421-2433.