Promote the heritage value and soil security of terraces ...

 TerrACE fits like a glove to the main aim of the GIAHS (Globally Important Agiructural Heritage Systems) which seeks to “promote public understanding, awareness, national and international recognition of Agricultural Heritage systems”. Looking to safeguard the social, cultural, economic and environmental goods and services these provide to family farmers, smallholders, indigenous peoples and local communities, the initiative fosters an integrated approach combining sustainable agriculture and rural development” (Koohafkan & Altieri 2011,2017). At present GIAHS includes terrace systems in China (Hani Rice terraces), Madagascar (rice terraces), Philippines (Ifugao rice terraces) but no systems in Europe. The strategic and scientific advisor body to GIAHS is GeoData which is located within the University of Southampton and will act as a bridge between GIAHS and TerrACE.

 

Interviews will be conducted with the different interest groups in each terrace system to provide contextual ethnographic data. This will be supervised by Walsh who has experience of such ethnographic observational research on Alpine pastoral systems. Talks, pamphlets and mobile displays will also be given at local schools to explain the research and meetings will be held in all of the study areas to explore reactions to the research, document management arrangements of the systems and provide scientific information back to the owners and operators. A number of international conferences will be used to disseminate the results of the project, talks will also be given and pamphlets and mobile displays produced. We will develop a travelling display for regional airports.