Agricultural heritage systems and agrobiodiversity

Agriculture is one of the main human activities with direct and indirect effects on environment. The abandonment many traditional agricultural practices, mainly for their inability to meet current requirements industrial agriculture, has brought unsustainable systems characterized by high external energy inputs a fragility environmental political shocks. Therefore, sustainable agriculture nowadays crucial preserving Agricultural heritage are receiving increasing attention at international level, as testified establishment Globally Important Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme Food Organization (FAO). aim GIAHS is, in fact, identify safeguard agro-silvo-pastoral resulting from co-existence between humans nature, which survived using techniques still providing ecosystem services, while maintaining magnificent landscapes, wild biodiversity, ancestral knowledge, strong cultural social values. These systems, based able provide food livelihood security, resources services local communities, but also examples adaptation mitigation climate change different often difficult conditions, well models resilience sustainability. In 2018 Italian Agency Development Cooperation (AICS), together Department Agriculture, Food, Environment Forestry (DAGRI) University Florence, developed project called “GIAHS Building Capacity”, aimed identifying sites parts world. This Special Issue collects results investigations carried out thirteen Central South America, Europe, Africa Asia offering wide an coherent perspective across papers included proved that despite some vulnerabilities due socio-economic causes rather than ones, including: byproducts supply, soil erosion protection, hydrogeological risk deforestation defense, agrobiodiversity biodiversity conservation, landscape preservation, agro-tourism; same time they can be important transmitting knowledge new generations identity. programme play key role related both developing countries. its not limited conservation these whole concept dynamic innovations needed preservation and, therefore, future rural areas communities. research part promoted UNESCO Chair Landscapes established Florence.