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Horta wins recognition on FAO global agricultural heritage list
27.11.2019 21:24 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
Within Spain, a 1,200-year-old farming and fishing area known as the «Horta» (garden) of Valencia has been recognized on the register of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), managed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), FAO reports.
Irrigated by the Turia river - thanks to a complex, gravity irrigation network designed in the 8th century and spreading over a dozen of municipalities around the city of Valencia - the area is home to the Spanish largest lake (Albufera).
«The Horta of Valencia is invaluable. Half of the crops grown here are at risk of disappearing within the region. It provides for both farmers and fishers. Its citrus fruits have a Geographical Indication (GI) label due to their high quality and variety. The site is also home to a wide range of birds, fish and plants, many classified as rare, endemic or endangered,» FAO Yoshihide Endo, GIAHS programme coordinator, admits.
It is to be noted, the Horta is made up of 6,000 small agricultural holdings (up to one hectare each), and thousands of farmland plots. About 80% of the area is used to grow fruits and some 50 vegetable crops.
The Horta of Valencia is the fourth Spanish site on the GIAHS list. The European Environment Agency has also recognized the site as one of six protected Mediterranean and metropolitan horticultural fields.
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