In Izmir, the olive harvest is more
than agriculture, it’s a feast through
which knowldge is transferred
Datca Peninsula IBA/KBA, where
great varieties of local seeds are used
in ancient agricultural terraces
This interaction with the earth not only supplied
food and other fundamentals of pastoral living,
but also nurtured traditions and culture whilst
sustaining the wider ecosystem.
Indigenous production landscapes are not
only an important cultural and natural heritage
– they also provide answers to many of the
questions plaguing the modern era. How best
should scarce water resources be used under
the pressure of climate change? How can soil
fertility be improved in natural ways, while
using the land as a source of food? What is the
optimum social structure and economic model
for maintaining fair production around the
world? Remnants of these landscapes in Turkey
and around the world shelter simple answers
to these complex questions, proven to function
over thousands of years in a sustainable way.
Despite their universal value, indigenous
production landscapes are not regarded as key
ecosystems for birds and biodiversity. These
areas also do not typically overlap with the
subjects of archaeological sciences. The majority
of such landscapes around the world are a result
of unique horizontal social structures, which
dramatically differ from our modern society.
As a result of the fast socio-economic
development over the last century, indigenous
jul-sep 2018 • birdlife
”Imece” underpins
culture here; a special form
of collective work with no
central management, based
on coexistence
0
7 The Nature School,
established by Doğa,
transfers indigenous
knowledge to young
people
Not only olive trees, but
also oak, wild pear, wild
almond and fig thrive in
Anatolia
1
production landscapes shifted to uniform
monocultures at an accelerated rate and are
now severely threatened. Nevertheless, great
varieties of such landscapes in Turkey continue
to persist. Doğa Derneği (BirdLife in Turkey)
has identified the indigenous olive pastu res of
the Aegean as a conservation priority owing to
their value for birds and biodiversity, and due
to the high level of threat facing this unique
anthropogenic ecosystem. Here, grazing and
olive oil production is sustained simultaneously.
This landscape is extremely diverse, hosting
numerous Mediterranean endemic and
threatened species associated with a great
variety of products.
Only 50 years ago, indigenous olive pastures
covered much of the Aegean Turkey. Yet today,
more than 80 % of them have been converted
to commercial olive orchards. Doğa and Slow
Food Mahal, a local organisation that explores
the link between indigenous culture and nature,
are working with local communities to sustain
the last examples of these landscapes. One
of the main challenges is to distinguish this
ancient olive oil from commercially produced
oils and to develop a fair market for them.
Fortunately, two international groups, Slow
Food International in Italy and Lush in the United
Kingdom, have already started to cooperate with
Doğa to reverse the trend. There is also growing
domestic interest in this extraordinary olive oil.
A world where agriculture takes place
without sowing, irrigation or tree cultivation…
it’s been shown to work for the last 4,000 years.
The question now in a rapidly changing world
is: are we able to sustain the sustainable? Now,
more than ever, we need to learn from the
wisdom of our ancestors.
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