Lisbon – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognized this Thursday (12) the Sempre-Viva flower picking system in the Serra do Espinhaço area of Minas Gerais, Brazil as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. Created in during the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, the denomination is bestowed on places where traditional production ensures community food security while respecting biodiversity and the wildlife.
This is the first Brazilian system ever added. Heritage systems in 22 countries are on the list. In justifying the move, the FAO said the Espinhaço area, in northern Minas Gerais, is a savannah where local farmers will harvest the flowers in association with livestock grazing and crop cultivation at altitudes of up to 1,400 meters.
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems include 33 sites in Asia, three in Africa, six in North Africa and the Middle East, and three in Latin America.
*With content from Portugal’s RTP TV channel
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
