Presentation Information
[O04-06]Collaboration between GIAHS and a Geopark for Conserving Traditional Food Culture: A Case of Miyoshi area, Tokushima★Invited Papers
*Azusa Tonotani1, Tsutomu Yamato2, Dai Taketani2, Naoki Naito3 (1.Geopark Promotion office in Miyoshi city, 2. Agriculture and Forestry Policy Division in Miyoshi city, 3.Tokushima Univ.)
Keywords:
Landscape conservation,rural revitalization
This study examines possibilities of collaboration among various types of landscape conservation programs for conserving traditional food ingredients and food culture, and through a case study of the Miyoshi area in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, focusing on collaboration between the Miyoshi Geopark and the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
GIAHS is an international initiative launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2002 to dynamically conserve traditional agricultural systems and their associated food culture, knowledge, biodiversity, and landscapes. In Japan, eight geoparks spatially overlap with GIAHS sites, including proposed sites, and the Miyoshi Geopark is one of them.
Part of the Miyoshi Geopark overlaps with the GIAHS site “Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System.” In this region, GIAHS activities began in 2013 and the site was designated in 2018, while geopark activities started in 2017 and the area was recognized by the Japanese Geopark in 2024. Both programs share key conservation targets, including steep-slope agriculture in settlements on the Shikoku Mountains and the Sanuki Mountain Range, traditional food ingredients maintained in such environments, and rural landscapes with distinctive ecosystems.
Within the GIAHS framework, the value of steep slopes has been interpreted mainly through farming practices and techniques, such as the relationships between slope gradients, tools, and crops. In contrast, the Geopark framework emphasizes geological and geomorphological perspectives, focusing on landscape development and its relationship with human activities. Recently, these perspectives have been integrated in field excursions, local educational programs, and study tours.
This study also explores how on-site staff and local residents involved in both programs perceive their values and operational challenges. It concludes by discussing how collaboration between GIAHS and geoparks can contribute to addressing regional issues, including the conserving and transmission of traditional food and food culture, shortages of successors, and the sustainable use of local resources.
GIAHS is an international initiative launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2002 to dynamically conserve traditional agricultural systems and their associated food culture, knowledge, biodiversity, and landscapes. In Japan, eight geoparks spatially overlap with GIAHS sites, including proposed sites, and the Miyoshi Geopark is one of them.
Part of the Miyoshi Geopark overlaps with the GIAHS site “Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System.” In this region, GIAHS activities began in 2013 and the site was designated in 2018, while geopark activities started in 2017 and the area was recognized by the Japanese Geopark in 2024. Both programs share key conservation targets, including steep-slope agriculture in settlements on the Shikoku Mountains and the Sanuki Mountain Range, traditional food ingredients maintained in such environments, and rural landscapes with distinctive ecosystems.
Within the GIAHS framework, the value of steep slopes has been interpreted mainly through farming practices and techniques, such as the relationships between slope gradients, tools, and crops. In contrast, the Geopark framework emphasizes geological and geomorphological perspectives, focusing on landscape development and its relationship with human activities. Recently, these perspectives have been integrated in field excursions, local educational programs, and study tours.
This study also explores how on-site staff and local residents involved in both programs perceive their values and operational challenges. It concludes by discussing how collaboration between GIAHS and geoparks can contribute to addressing regional issues, including the conserving and transmission of traditional food and food culture, shortages of successors, and the sustainable use of local resources.