Gardens of Biodiversity: Conservation of Genetic Resources and Their Use in Traditional Food Production Systems by Small Farmers of the Southern Caucasus

The Southern Caucasus is an important center of origin and diversity of many species and varieties that are the basis for global food production. This great biodiversity is maintained by farmers, and their gardens are a healthy source of food production, experimental places to develop sustainable technologies and laboratories to maintain seeds and biodiversity. This book contains 500 photos and documented information on selected species that hold potential to adapt to the production systems of the twenty-first century. It also contains studies and notes on the food habits and associated traditions of the people of the Southern Caucasus, who contribute to maintaining sustainable agricultural systems through their daily work and diligence. While it does not claim to offer a definitive prescription for sustainable agriculture and is not an exhaustive study, the book would like to stimulate further debate, research and policies in the hope that bridges can be built between the sustainable use of biodiversity and genetic resources, traditional practices and ways of life, and the new technologies, demands and challenges of today's society.