Recovery of native varieties, a combined strategy for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of the rural environment

MITECO

To achieve the objectives of promoting the sustainable development of the rural environment, the project involves farmers, technicians and researchers, as well as consumers.

The project has six planned actions, including a map of experiences of use and conservation of native varieties; the promotion and consolidation of the Reseeding and Exchange Network (ReI) of farmers, technicians, researchers, consumers, amateurs, for the exchange and conservation of native varieties; the development of an online database for public consultation; and the increase in knowledge and consumption of native varieties by consumers.

Specifically, it is intended to:

Consolidate the network of replanting and exchange of experiences in the use and conservation of native varieties that are still conserved by farmers, or that are in public germplasm banks and other informal banks of local associations or groups.
To share the methodologies for inventorying and characterising these native varieties with a series of botanical, agronomic and cultural descriptors.
To share knowledge on traditional use and management linked to native varieties.
To determine common criteria for the assessment of the agronomic performance of these native varieties, with the help of expert farmers in the area.
To evaluate the quality and commercial demand of native varieties in a participatory manner according to the criteria expressed by farmers and consumers.
To disseminate and promote the importance of native varieties among associations and consumer groups located in the area of action of the project.