Strengthening national capacity for the assessment of agricultural heritage systems and their role in biodiversity conservation and social development
At the initiative of the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, an introductory seminar on the technical assistance project «Strengthening national capacity for the assessment of agricultural heritage systems and their role in biodiversity conservation and social development» was held on July 16, 2025, at the Institute of System Researches in Agro-Industrial Complex of the NAS of Belarus. This project is included in the Framework Programme of Cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and FAO for 2024–2025.
Objectives of the event:
- To discuss the potential of the project in recognizing and preserving agricultural heritage sites in Belarus for the purpose of sustainable agricultural and local economic development;
- To raise awareness about agricultural heritage and the GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) concept in the Republic of Belarus—among state administration, academia, education, the real sector, and others.
Participants of the seminar included: representatives from FAO headquarters, the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus, the United Nations Office in Belarus, researchers from the humanities and agricultural branches of the NAS of Belarus, the National Center for Intellectual Property, the international Slow Food organization, and delegates from initiatives in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Key outcomes of the seminar:
- The importance of GIAHS for ensuring food security in Belarus and its role in social development was acknowledged;
- Potential GIAHS candidates in Belarus were discussed;
- A preliminary composition of a national working group for identifying GIAHS sites was discussed.
