SAVE Foundation (Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe) - SAVE Foundation - intangible heritage - Culture Sector

SAVE Foundation (Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe) - SAVE Foundation

Switzerland

Contact: +41 71 222 74 1
Postal address: Neugasse 30 CH-9000 St. Gallen
Geographic Coverage of NGO’s expertise: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland

URL: https://www.save-foundation.net

Year of creation: 1993

Safeguarding measures:

- identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making)
- preservation, protection
- promotion, enhancement
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization
- STAKEHOLDER NETWORKING, POLITICAL LOBBYING, PROVIDING INFORMATION/PROMOTING KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

Main areas of work related to the Convention:

Biodiversity is not only about wildlife, it is about also the richness of agricultural breeds and seeds. Today both wildlife and agro-biodiversity are endangered. This agrobiodiversity is essential for our food security. Agrobiodiversity is endangered because many old breeds have been replaced by high performance breeds, which produce more meat and milk. Old species of plants are replaced by high yielding crops. This process was considered economically necessary but has lead to the critical endangerment of many traditional breeds. Some breeds have even become extinct, others have only a few living examples still in existence. Even though many of the old breeds and varieties are not as productive as their modern counterparts, they possess qualities such as high fertility, hardiness and resistance against harsh weather conditions and disease, all of which could be very important in a changing economic and climatic situation. The traditional breeds and varieties have been adapted over generations to satisfy the needs of farmers and the conditions of their local environment. They are not only genetically interesting, they also hold a value as a piece of cultural heritage. Many of the breeds and varieties that we support the conservation of are deeply rooted in the culture of the society that keeps them. We aim for sustainable conservation in the area the breeds and varieties were developed, seeing them as a piece of cultural heritage intricately bound to the traditions and practises of the region. Except for in emergency situations, we discourage the removal of animals to other areas, seeing the breeds as being part and parcel of the intangible cultural heritage of the area. This can be particularly observed in the case of the Karakachan or Walachen people and animals but it is, also, true in many other parts of the world. Even in so-called developed countries customs and traditional produce and practice is bound to the traditional farming systems, plants and animals. The SAVE Foundation restricts its activities to Europe but takes an interest in similar work of other organisations around the world. In order to conserve endangered breeds and seeds even in only small populations, it is necessary to act before it is too late. In many countries in Europe, there are organisations supporting and promoting the conservation of Agro-Biodiversity. The SAVE Foundation, founded in 1993, acts as a European umbrella organisation for these organisations. It promotes and coordinates activities to conserve endangered breeds of domestic animals and cultivated plant varieties. The SAVE Foundation also acts practically, in areas where there is, as yet, no national organisation in existence. The SAVE Foundation and its Partners make up the European SAVE Network. The Monitoring Institute was founded in 1995 with the aim of providing a scientific foundation for the work of SAVE. The Monitoring Institute collects data, both historical and from the present. It also assesses conservation work, raises the alarm where conservation work is lacking and facilitates crossborder monitoring of old and endangered rare breeds and cultivated plant varieties. Please see the SAVE Website (www.save-foundation.net/english/projects.htm) to see a list of our current projects Additional information: SAVE Foundation has been working since 1993 on many different levels to achieve the objectives of successful on-farm conservation. As has already been outlined in section 5, this work is multi-faceted. The need for a more systematic approach to documenting traditional knowledge was especially discussed at the Conference "Alpine Convention and Agrobiodiversity" which was organized in collaboration with the Alpine Convention and SAVE-Monitoring Institute in May 2008 in Bozen, Italy. This idea was followed up by SAVE with the feasibility study for "Alpine Knowledge" (see below). The last 17 years of networking organisations and stakeholders working towards the same goals has led to SAVE accumulating a large amount of practical experience concerning traditional knowledge within agriculture. The recognition that cultural and social aspects are essential parts of a holistic approach to conservation was behind the decision to recruit a social scientist to the team in 2006. The accreditation from UNESCO is an important step towards fully integrating the concept of protecting intangible knowledge into our work programme. The current SAVE staff team comprises of: Hans-Peter Grunenfelder, graduated as engineer from ETH (Zurich) with an MSc in rural development. In 1995 he received the Chorafas-Prize from the Swiss Academy of Natural Science for his outstanding work for the in-situ-conservation of rare breeds and seeds. Waltraud Kugler, graduated as geographer and landscape ecologist. She has managed SAVE projects since October 1994. Since November 2000 she is responsible for the direction of operations for the SAVE-Monitoring Institute in St.Gallen. Elli Broxham, graduated in Environmental Policy and International Development. She has managed various SAVE projects including the project Continuous Monitoring in the Alps. She has been with SAVE since 2006. Ulrich Donath, Biology graduate from the ETH (Zurich) and a qualified GIS-application developer, he worked in several fields of ecology on the interface to data processing systems. He has been with SAVE since 2008. Many of the breeds and varieties that we support the conservation of are deeply rooted in the culture of the society that keeps them. They provide a basis and integral part of life, language, beliefs, nutrition and land management that has been tried and tested over thousands of years in the hands of millions of people. Traditional knowledge played an essential part in many past projects of SAVE e.g. conservation of the Karakachan animals, an integral part of their nomadic lifestyle, and the Kalofer goat, the hides of which a part of the traditional carnival costume, in Bulgaria. Much has also been achieved, in order to support conservation, in networking stakeholders in areas where political borders divide cultural identities. Current activities which aim to safeguard and promote intangible knowledge include: Arca-Net - Arca-Net profiles places where traditional livestock breeds and cultivated plants can be experienced first hand. It contains over 500 publicly accessible places in 43 countries. A map with all the locations and categories of the centres makes searching in specific regions or countries in Europe easy. As is fitting for a serious portal, criteria for inclusion are in place. The basic criteria for inclusion can be found on the Arca-Net website under the menu point 'Guidelines' The next project phase will see seminars and workshops for to exchange knowledge and experience and to promote regional and international networking. A development of didactic materials for ark centres is also planned. http://www.arca-netinfo. Alpine Knowledge - The knowledge about plant cultivation, animal husbandry, breeding, use and product manufacturing from rare breeds and varieties is being lost with the elder generation. Sometimes the knowledge is lost faster than the breed or the variety. If thisknowledge falls into oblivion, in-situ / on farm conservation becomes difficult. Collecting the traditional knowledge of the Alpine Circle is of special importance, within the continuous monitoring of the situation of the Alps. The idea to collect the knowledge about rare autochthonous breeds and varieties is very new and innovative. Until now, only few efforts were undertaken to systematically collect traditional peasant knowledge of this kind. SAVE has started a one year feasibility study for collection and documentation of traditional knowledge in the Alps to find the best way of collecting and handling the data. The study includes: • Development of an information platform that people can contribute to • Development of a system to collect knowledge from different sources • Development of categories and content. As a result of the feasibility study, a following project will be launched to extend the project, perhaps also to other regions, such as the Balkan region or the Carpathians. Additional information 2: SAVE Foundation has been working since 1993 on many different levels to achieve the objectives of successful on-farm conservation. As has already been outlined in section 5, this work is multi-faceted. The need for a more systematic approach to documenting traditional knowledge was especially discussed at the Conference “Alpine Convention and Agrobiodiversity” which was organized in collaboration with the Alpine Convention and SAVE-Monitoring Institute in May 2008 in Bozen, Italy. This idea was followed up by SAVE with the feasibility study for “Alpine Knowledge” (see below). The last 17 years of networking organisations and stakeholders working towards the same goals has led to SAVE accumulating a large amount of practical experience concerning traditional knowledge within agriculture. The recognition that cultural and social aspects are essential parts of a holistic approach to conservation of traditional agriculture was behind the decision to recruit a social scientist to the team in 2006. The accreditation from UNESCO is an important step towards fully integrating the concept of protecting intangible cultural knowledge into our work programme. The current SAVE staff team comprises of: Hans-Peter Grünenfelder, graduated as engineer from ETH (Zürich) with an MSc in rural development. In 1995 he received the Chorafas-Prize from the Swiss Academy of Natural Science for his outstanding work for the in-situ-conservation of rare breeds and seeds. Waltraud Kugler, graduated as geographer and landscape ecologist. She has managed SAVE projects since October 1994. Since November 2000 she is responsible for the direction of operations for the SAVE-Monitoring Institute in St.Gallen. Elli Broxham, graduated in Environmental Policy and International Development. Member of the European Society for Rural Sociology. She has managed various SAVE projects including the project Continuous Monitoring in the Alps. She has been with SAVE since 2006. Ulrich Donath, Biology graduate from the ETH (Zürich) and a qualified GIS-application developer, he worked in several fields of ecology on the interface to data processing systems. He has been with SAVE since 2008. Today agrobiodiversity is greatly endangered because farmers are endangered, the environment is endangered and traditions are endangered. Many of the breeds and varieties that SAVE supports are deeply rooted in the culture of the society that keeps them. They provide a basis and integral part of life, language, beliefs, nutrition and land management that has been tried and tested over thousands of years in the hands of millions of people. Traditional knowledge played an essential part in many past projects of SAVE e.g. conservation of the Karakachan animals, an integral part of their nomadic lifestyle, and the Kalofer goat, the hides of which a part of the traditional carnival costume, in Bulgaria. Much has also been achieved, in order to support conservation, by networking stakeholders in areas where political borders divide cultural identities. Current activities to record intangible knowledge: Arca-Net – Arca-Net profiles places where traditional livestock breeds and cultivated plants can be experienced first hand. It contains over 500 publicly accessible places in 43 countries. A map with all the locations and categories of the centres makes searching in specific regions or countries in Europe easy. The next project phase will see seminars and workshops for farmers to exchange knowledge and experience and to promote regional and international networking. A development of didactic materials for ark centres is also planned. http://www.arca-net.info. Alpine Knowledge - In 2006 it became clear to us that farmers’ knowledge was rapidly being lost with the elder generation and, although the recording of it has always been a part of our project work, it is now essential to focus our attention on recording as much as possible before it disappears. To this end, the concept of the “Alpine Knowledge” project came about. This project is now in a pilot phase with first results of the feasibility study expected at the end of 2010. As a result of the feasibility study, a following project will be launched to extend the project, perhaps also to other regions, such as the Balkan region or the Carpathians. SAVE aims for sustainable conservation in the area the breeds and varieties were developed, seeing them as a piece of cultural heritage intricately bound to the traditions and practises of the region. Except for in emergency situations, we discourage the removal of material to other areas, seeing it as being part and parcel of the intangible cultural heritage of the area. The SAVE Foundation restricts its activities to Europe but takes an interest in similar work of other organisations around the world.

Objectives

SAVE is the abbreviation for "Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe". SAVE is a pan-European umbrella NGO established to preserve and promote genetic, cultural and historical diversity in farm animals and cultivated plants in Europe in cooperation with its local country members. SAVE especially aims at breeds of farm animals and cultivated plants that are threatened by extinction. The above objectives are pursued via: • an adequate organizational structure comprising a Board of Directors, a Project Commission and a Council of Cooperation Partners; • information, including collection and dissemination of information such as:, - international and national legislation and treaties with regard to rare breeds of farm animals and cultivated plants international and national funding programs and logistical assistance collection and transfer of know-how • the monitoring of the state of the endangered breeds and cultivated plants seeking, locating, evaluating and regular stock inspections of remnant populations of rare breeds and varieties of cultivated plants (by the Monitoring Institute) installing an early warning system to signal need for action when and where necessary • single projects, rescue operations. SAVE will take action when needed in cooperation with the country partners and/or initiate conservation measures (normally on-farm) where local organizations are lacking or can’t cope with the task. In the long term SAVE will hand over these projects. • lend logistical and other types of support to organizations in general and to specific conservation projects in particular for national and regional activities. • promotion of existing endangered breeds and cultivated plants. this includes • public relations and raising awareness for the need to preserve the genetic resources through the www.save-foundation.net website, publication of the SAVE eNews, press / media-releases, etc.; • promoting and elaborating studies with regard to rare breeds and cultivated plants; • lobbying towards international organizations and governments (FAO, EU, …), and through its members, towards national governments and organizations; • participating at / organizing conferences, seminars, • support for in situ / on-farm projects in different European countries. • networking and encouraging cooperation of European partners such as NGO’s, universities, government bodies, nature reserves, active in the field of agro biodiversity • raising finances to realize these projects. Additional information: Biodiversity is not only about wildlife, it is also about the richness of agricultural breeds and seeds. Agricultural biological diversity (agrobiodiversity) is everything - from soil bacteria through to cows and apples, including forests, rivers and wild plants - that provides our food, fibre and fuel resources. Over thousands of years humans have worked together with natural processes, selecting and developing animals and crops to provide food for a growing population. Within this process, traditions and cultural events (harvest festivals, transhumance e.g. in the Alps) and intangible knowledge were passed on since agriculture began through the generations and were closely connected to the specific animal breeds and plant varieties of the regions. Today this agrobiodiversity is greatly endangered because the farmers are endangered, the environment is endangered and traditions are endangered. The loss of traditional autochthonous breeds and varieties within the modern environment of high performance and depleted biodiversity has led to a loss of farmers' traditions and agro-eco-systems, subsequently leading to a loss of the intangible knowledge needed for in-situ/on-farm consevation. SAVE Foundation stands for the safeguarding of autochthonous breeds and plants, within their unique human systems. Our work for the conservation of traditional agricultural systems is widely anchored and ranges from research and scientific work, through stakeholder networking, to identifying and documenting traditional knowledge and supporting and promoting its conservation. The stakeholders also range widely from government ministries and international organisations, through research institutes, to NGOs and small scale farmers and breeders. SAVE acts as a representative of NGOs and farmers/breeders and strives to ensure that their voice is heard and their needs are met. We aim for sustainable conservation in the area the breeds and varieties were developed, seeing them as a piece of cultural heritage intricately bound to the traditions and practises of the region. Except for in emergency situations, we discourage the removal of material to other areas. The breeds and plants are an essential part of the intangible cultural heritage of the area. The SAVE Foundation restricts its activities to Europe but is in contact with organisations conducting similar work around the world. Additional information 2: Biodiversity is not only about wildlife, it is also about the richness of agricultural breeds and seeds. Agricultural biological diversity (agrobiodiversity) is everything – from soil bacteria through to cows and apples, including forests, rivers and wild plants – that provides our food, fibre and fuel resources. Over thousands of years humans have worked together with natural processes, selecting and developing animals and crops to provide food for a growing population. This extremely successful enterprise has been the basis of all other human endeavours. Agriculture has provided both nutrition and time – time that was previously used on hunting, gathering and constantly moving in search of new food. The increased resources allowed humans to invent new technological processes, develop ways of organizing communities and resources, to build the wonders of the world, to think, to travel, to write music and books, and create great art. An inextricable link lies between human culture and agrobiodiversity. This is taken into account in all agrobiodiversity conservation activities. Conservation of the cultural heritage of humans is important as not only languages and customs are endangered but, also their land use systems and traditional farmers’ knowledge, traditions, feasts, clothes etc. These latter aspects are directly related to the work of the SAVE Foundation and are an integral part of all our projects. Conservation of (agro)biodiversity is not only a domain for scientists, it is a place for the expression of culture – through practical knowledge, language, stories, myths and legends, customs and food specialities. This fact has been long recognised at SAVE. SAVE Foundation stands for the safeguarding of agrobiodiversity, within unique human systems. Our work is widely anchored and ranges from research and scientific work, through stakeholder networking, to identifying and documenting traditional knowledge related to rare breeds and plants and supporting and promoting its conservation. The stakeholders also range widely from government ministries and international organisations, through research institutes, to NGOs and small scale farmers and breeders. SAVE acts as a representative of these NGOs and farmers/breeders and strives to ensure that their voice is heard and their needs for grassroots development are met.

Cooperation

SAVE has been cooperating with European stakeholders for the conservation of agrobiodiversity since the establishment of the foundation in 1993. This cooperation is reflected in every project listed on the website http://www.save-foundation.net/english/projects.htm Furthermore, SAVE is now developing a concept for collecting, storing and disseminating traditional farmers' knowledge, primarily from the mountainous regions of Europe. Knowledge about farming with, use of and products from traditional agrobiodiversity can be lost very quickly as older generations die out and younger generations are more interested in modern cultures. There are many attempts made to save the actual genetic material through gene and seed banks or other forms of ex situ conservation. However, there is very little emphasis placed on gathering and storing the knowledge that goes together with each plant variety and each animal breed. Without this knowledge, any conservation efforts are doomed to long-term failure. Domesticated animals and plants are inseparably bound to humans for their survival; likewise, the cultural heritage of rural areas is bound to the plants and animals that are part of the traditional agricultural system. The project in development will assess the feasibility of collecting and storing traditional knowledge in a way that is publicly accessible. This project is new and innovative in the sector of agrobiodiversity, experience and knowledge from other sectors will be sought to provide the optimal solution. The pilot phase of this project will be undertaken in the Alpine region. Once the methodology has been established, the project will be expanded and transferred to other areas where traditional farmer’s knowledge is in danger of being irretrievably lost and forgotten. Additional information: SAVE has cooperated with European stakeholders for the conservation of agrobiodiversity and traditional agro-eco-systems since its establishment in 1993. SAVE has 19 network members who act as partner organisations. They are all NGOs representing memberships of farmers/breeders and other interested stakeholders - each partner is represented in the Council of Cooperation Partners, meeting annually to discuss the work of SAVE and to give direction to its future. This cooperation is an essential part of our work and is reflected in every project. It is vital to successful project implementation that all stakeholders affected are drawn into the process. SAVE has become known for this inclusive practice. Each year the SAVE Annual Meeting gives stakeholders from all over Europe a chance to network and exchange information, this experience is enhanced by the inclusion of the 'International Agrobiodiversity Seminar' into the SAVE Annual Meeting. This seminar will take place for the 4th time in 2010 and give 11 guest speakers a chance to outline the work in their countries for the benefit of other participants in the spirit of exchange of knowledge and ideas. Additionally in 2010, SAVE has already held a successful workshop on conservation of sheep and goats in Greece, giving practical advice for improving conservation efforts for flocks that are, for example, a fundamental part of the livelihood and tradition of the Sarakatsani nomads, one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Balkans. SAVE will run a workshop at the 1st Forum Carpaticum in Krak6w, Poland, 15-17th September 2010 workshops aimed at better engaging and networking stakeholders in the region. One further planned workshop for 2010 will take place in November within a conference on Biodiversity and Land use systems in Europe. On this occasion the Alpine Knowledge project (see 6c) will be presented in a keynote speech and Alpine stakeholders will be invited to present their work on conservation of both agrobiodiversity and traditional farmers' knowledge. Through these actions, it is possible for SAVE to respectfully cooperate with groups and individuals who work with and for intangible heritage in the form of traditional farmers' knowledge. Additional information 2: SAVE has cooperated with European stakeholders for the conservation of agrobiodiversity and traditional agro-eco-systems since its establishment in 1993. Since the beginning of the Foundation, farmers and their communities have always been fully included in all our projects as active partners for conservation. This spirit of mutual respect has led to successful conservation activities that combine the knowledge of farmers and scientists – not only do all stakeholders take an active part in the projects, through the activities, the intangible knowledge of farmers is recorded and disseminated helping to preserve it for future generations. SAVE has 19 network members who act as partner organisations. They are all NGOs representing memberships of farmers/breeders and other interested stakeholders – each partner is represented in the Council of Cooperation Partners, meeting annually to discuss the work of SAVE and to give direction to its future. SAVE has become known for its inclusive practice. Each year the SAVE Annual Meeting gives stakeholders from all over Europe a chance to network and exchange information, this experience is enhanced by the inclusion of the 'International Agrobiodiversity Seminar' into the SAVE Annual Meeting. This seminar gives guest speakers a chance to outline the work in their countries for the benefit of other participants in the spirit of exchange of knowledge and ideas. Additionally, in 2010, SAVE has held a workshop on conservation of sheep and goats in Greece, sharing practical advice from and to farmers for improving conservation efforts for flocks that are, for example, a fundamental part of the livelihood and tradition of the Sarakatsani nomads, one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Balkans. In November 2010 a workshop will take place within a conference on Biodiversity and Land use systems in Europe. On this occasion the Alpine Knowledge project (see 6c) will be presented in a keynote speech and Alpine stakeholders will be invited to discuss their work on conservation of both agrobiodiversity and traditional farmers’ knowledge. Through these actions, it is possible for SAVE to respectfully cooperate with groups and individuals who work with and for intangible heritage in the form of traditional farmers’ knowledge.