Amalfi Lemon Groves: Agricultural Excellence and FAO Heritage

Amalfi's lemon groves and steep-slope farming systems have been recognized by the FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in its 80th anniversary year; this is one of three new designations that highlight a place's agrobiodiversity, traditional knowledge, and cultural heritage.

The other two new entries are in Japan: a former iron sand mine transformed into an agro-forestry-pastoral farm in the Okuizumo area and a landscape of terraced citrus groves bordered by dry stone walls in the Arida-Shimotsu region.

Three new entries in the global network of globally significant agricultural systems bring the total number of designated sites in 29 countries to 102. Japan boasts 17 designations, while Italy has three, along with the olive trees of Assisi and Spoleto and the 2018 Soave grape varieties . These dynamic and resilient systems, custodians of rich agrobiodiversity, traditional knowledge, and precious cultures and landscapes, sustainably managed by farmers, herders, fishermen, and forestry communities, contribute to local livelihoods and food security. "Each site," says Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the FAO Office for Climate Change, Biodiversity and the Environment, "is a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of rural and agricultural communities, demonstrating sustainable practices carefully maintained and adapted over generations."

Amalfi has earned worldwide recognition for several reasons, where centuries-old farming communities have shaped a unique landscape of lemon groves, olive groves, and vineyards overlooking the sea. The iconic "Sfusato Amalfitano" lemon is grown under chestnut pergolas, using manual techniques, and harvested by so-called "flying farmers," a term that refers to their ability to walk and balance on the pergolas during the harvest. The unique dry stone terraces prevent erosion, stabilize the soil, and regulate water and temperature. Up to 800 lemon trees can be found per hectare, with yields of up to 35 tons, achieved using low-impact, pesticide-free practices. The area is also home to over 970 plant species, including rare Mediterranean flora. Women play a fundamental role, contributing to the agricultural work and the transmission of traditions.

The terraced system, among other things, is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, representing a powerful example of sustainable Mediterranean mountain agriculture. "It's been a long journey, a work we've been carrying out for years now," explains Daniele Milano, the mayor of Amalfi (Salerno), noting that this sustainable agriculture requires a skilled art, passed down from generation to generation, through which potentially unsuitable and inhospitable lands have become the cradle of a product known and exported worldwide.