JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- A three-day capacity-building workshop on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) concluded here on Wednesday, with officials from 16 African countries agreeing to promote the establishment of such sites in their respective countries.
Funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)-China South-South Cooperation Program, the event provides participants with technical knowledge and practical tools to develop GIAHS proposals and access funding opportunities, bringing together representatives from 16 English-speaking African nations.
Jeremie Mbairamadji, senior coordinator at the FAO GIAHS Secretariat, said, "Africa is lagging behind in GIAHS designations. We intend to close this gap and increase the number of designated sites across the continent."
"Africa possesses rich natural capital and time-tested farming systems that meet all GIAHS criteria. As trainers, we expect participants to convey these skills to their leadership and build the capacity needed to draft GIAHS proposals," Mbairamadji noted.
Mbairamadji added that strong political will is essential for African nations to fully reap the benefits of GIAHS. He noted that the FAO stands ready to conduct technical briefings for individual countries requesting further guidance.
Maria Mphahlele, director of extension and advisory services at South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, emphasized that GIAHS is "people-centered" and reconnects communities with their environment to preserve traditional agricultural systems.
Deidre Januarie, deputy director of livestock research and production at Namibia's Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, said the training reinforced the value of traditional knowledge, culture, and biodiversity conservation.
A similar capacity-building session will be held for French-speaking African nations in the near future.
Globally, there are currently 104 designated GIAHS sites across 29 countries. However, Africa is significantly underrepresented, accounting for only four designated sites, located in Kenya, Tanzania, and Sao Tome and Principe. ■
