Mountain development course starts in Italy
10.07.2014
Around 25 development researchers and practitioners have gathered for the seventh session of International Programme on Research and Training on Sustainable Management of Mountain Areas (IPROMO) in Ormea, Italy, on 8-18 July 2014. This year the annual course is called: Promoting Sustainable Farming in Mountain Regions to coincide with the UN-proclaimed International Year of Family Farming 2014. Jointly organized by the Mountain Partnership and the University of Turin with support from Ormea municipal/local authorities, the ten-day course is focusing on the challenges and opportunities for sustainable farming in mountain areas.
The course addresses the sustainability of mountain farming, especially in terms of contemporary global changes. For centuries mountain communities have developed farming practices - such as crop diversification, integration of agriculture with livestock activities and soil conservation practices - that are in harmony with nature, according to course organizers. However, globalization, urbanization and out-migration are heavily affecting mountain communities and disrupting their traditional lifestyles.
UN experts and academics are sharing their knowledge of mountain farming delving into various sustainable farming issues. “Mountain farming is inherently sustainable and IPROMO is an excellent opportunity to deepen our understanding of traditional practices and to further promote them,” said Thomas Hofer, Coordinator of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, explaining the purpose of this year’s course.
All participants, many of whose organizations or governments are Mountain Partnership members, are given the opportunity to speak about their own work on mountain development. Mohammad Seyam Habibi, a participant and Senior Technical Coordinator at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, expressed his appreciation for the course. Sharing experiences among different mountain regions and discussing mountain agriculture policy is very valuable, he said.
“IPROMO is a golden opportunity to share knowledge and expand our network”, underlined Salome Alweny, African Mountains Programme Manager at the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS). Read more
Photo: FAO/Nasir Hussain
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