FAO Recognizes Six New Agricultural Heritage Sites

FAO has designated six new sites across Mexico, Brazil, China, and Spain as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), highlighting traditional agricultural methods that support biodiversity, cultural heritage and sustainable livelihoods.

The newly recognized systems were approved during the GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group meeting. With these additions, the FAO’s network now includes 95 systems in 28 countries. China leads globally with 25 designated systems, followed by Spain with six, Mexico with three, and Brazil with two.

In Mexico, the metepantle farming system in Tlaxcala has been practiced by Nahua Indigenous communities for over 3,000 years. It consists of terraced mosaics of corn, agave, beans, squash, and wild plants. The system conserves over 140 native species, including 40 species of corn and 30 types of edible vegetables. It promotes food security, seed preservation and soil stabilization in a region vulnerable to climate change.

In Brazil, a traditional shade-grown yerba mate system in Paraná integrates native forest cover with food crops and forest products. Developed by Indigenous and local communities, this agroforestry practice supports the preservation of the endangered Araucaria Forest, which now retains only 1% of its original area. The system strengthens biodiversity, food sovereignty and cultural identity.

In China, three systems were recognized. In Deqing County, Zhejiang Province, a centuries-old integrated aquaculture system produces freshwater pearls, rice and silk by combining fish and pearl mussel farming. The mussels help purify water, and the system supports over 22,000 people through aquaculture, pearl processing, and ecotourism. In Fuding, Fujian Province, a long-standing white tea farming system centers on natural withering techniques and preserves 18 tea varieties and over 120 additional agricultural species, contributing to ecosystem and food system resilience. In Gansu Province, a 600-year-old pear orchard system along the Yellow River employs a traditional method to cultivate pear trees and integrate crops and livestock. It produces over 2 million kg of pears annually while reducing dependence on chemical inputs.

In Spain, a volcanic soil farming system on the island of Lanzarote uses volcanic lapilli and marine sand to capture moisture and protect crops in a dry, windy landscape. Developed after 18th-century eruptions, this system supports grape, sweet potato, and legume cultivation across more than 12,000ha without irrigation. It contributes to biodiversity conservation and maintains cultural farming practices in one of Europe’s driest regions.

“These systems are bright spots showing how communities can draw on ancestral knowledge to produce food, protect livelihoods and preserve unique agricultural landscapes,” said Kaveh Zahedi, Director of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO.