The Chair Mission and Vision

Mission and Vision

Vision

The UNESCO Chair “Agricultural Heritage Landscapes" was established with the objective to spread the knowledge about agricultural heritage landscapes and their importance nowadays in consideration of their potential contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included in the U.N. Agenda 2030, with particular reference to sustainable agriculture, food security, biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The activities organized in the framework of the Chair are based on the need to improve the ability of identifying, monitoring, safeguarding and valorising agricultural heritage landscapes promoting small-scale and family farming, traditional products and knowledge as well as local cultures. The Chair has been supported by 11 national and international institution.

UNESCO Chairs are institutions approved by the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme which acts to promote international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work. Launched in 1992, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme involves over 850 institutions in 117 countries and supports the establishment of UNESCO Chairs in key priority areas related to UNESCO’s fields of competence.

 

Mission

• Promote the conceptof agricultural heritage and the related values
• Organize training courses to create professionals and experts able to identify, monitor and manage traditional agricultural heritage landscapes
• Identify and map potential agricultural heritage landscapes in all the continents through remote sensing and field work
• Produce scientific research and organize events on agricultural heritage landscapes
• Collaborate with national and international institutions informing them about the need to identify and safeguard agricultural heritage areas
• Promote collaboration between the approach of the UNESCO World Heritage List (WHL) on cultural landscapes and the one proposed by FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme