Valuing cultural aspects of native breeds

Gustavo Gandini

Seminar June 29th, 2015 - CGN Wageningen

Conservation of farm animal genetic diversity with special

attention to cultural and environmental values of breeds

Contents

• Cultural value of local breeds – principles

• Analysis of cultural value of ten goat breeds

• Cultural values of breeds & Cultural ecosystem services

Cultural values of breeds • Local breeds are sources, carriers and stewards of

cultural heritage: practices, customs, material artifacts,

knowledge, myths, belief systems, aesthetic preferences,

landscapes

• Resources in creation of art (e.g. Rembrandt, Potter)

• Resources in creation and transformation of intellectual

and cultural capital

• They can contribute to the symbolic construction of

community, or the sense of place

(Gandini and Villa, 2003; Soini and Partanen, 2009)

Which link between breed diversity and breed culture diversity?

Higher cultural values expected where there is a

strong link between human society and livestock: – High mutual dependence (Siberia, Sahel)

– Traditional vs. industrial farming

– Species? country? species/country? variation

– Etc.

Which culture?

• All culture associated to livestock, including Holstein Friesian (e.g. cattle shows, etc. )?

• Associated to local breed diversity?

• Rural culture in danger (breed and its framing

systems) ?

Identifying cultural conservation units: the case of the goat populations of the

Italian Alpine ark (2011, unpublished)

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8

9 10

1=Roccaverano; 2=Valdostana; 3=Vallesana; 4=Verzaschese; 5=Lariana; 6=Ciavenasca; 7=Orobica; 8=Bionda Adamello; 9=Mochena; 10=Passiria.

Breed Level of identification of

farmers in their breeds

Presence of breed

name *

Before 1980 After 1980

Bionda good good After 1980'

Ciavenasca absent absent After 1980'

Lariana poor poor After 1980'

Mochena poor poor After 1980'

Orobica good good After 1980'

Passiria good good Before 1980'

Roccaverano good good After 1980'

Valdostana good good After 1980'

Verzaschese good good Before 1980'

Vallesana good good Before 1980'

Level of identification of farmers in their breeds and antiquity of breed name

EC Regulation 2078/92

The breed role as custodian of traditional elements of the landscape of the

farming area

Element

LAR

VER

ORO

CIA

ROC

BIO

PAS

VAL

MOC

VAD

Caprili FD FD FD FD S P P P FD P

Stalle bovine P P P P S P P P P

Sostra P P

Siepi FD FD S

Barek F F

Calec’ P

Sedili in pietra FD FD

Covoni FD FD S

LAR (Lariana), VER (Verzaschese), ORO (Orobica); CIA (Ciavenasca), ROC (Roccaverano), BIO (Bionda),

PAS (Passiria; VAL (Vallesana), MOC (Mochena), VAD (Valdostana);

P=Persisten; F=Decreasing; FD=Severe decreasing; S=Lost.

Cultural analysis – 10 goat breeds

The breed role as custodian of traditional farming systems

and tools

Element

LAR

VER

ORO

CIA

ROC

BIO

PAS

VAL

MOC

VAD

Pascolo guidato S S FD S F P P

Sfalcio dei prati P P P P P P P P P P

Collari in legno F F P P FD P FD P P P

Caldaie in rame P P P P FD FD S FD S P

Utensili FD FD P FD FD FD S FD S P

Goat competitions

P

LAR (Lariana), VER (Verzaschese), ORO (Orobica); CIA (Ciavenasca), ROC (Roccaverano), BIO (Bionda),

PAS (Passiria; VAL (Vallesana), MOC (Mochena), VAD (Valdostana);

P=Persisten; F=Decreasing; FD=Severe decreasing ; S=Lost.

Cultural analysis – 10 goat breeds

Milk and processed meat products

Element

LAR

VER

ORO

CIA

ROC

BIO

PAS

VAL

MOC

VAD

Milk products

Formaggini freschi a

coagulazione presamica

X X X X X X X

Formaggini freschi a

coagulazione lattica

X X

Formaggio d’Alpe

grasso misto

X X X X

Formaggio d’Alpe

semigrasso misto

X X X

Zincarlin (ricotta) X X

Mascarpi (ricotta) X

Mascarpin (ricotta) X

Saligno (ricotta) X

Formaggelle miste/pure X X X X

Brus X

Fatulì X

Meat products

Mocetta X

Violino X X

LAR (Lariana), VER (Verzaschese), ORO (Orobica); CIA (Ciavenasca), ROC (Roccaverano), BIO (Bionda),

PAS (Passiria; VAL (Vallesana), MOC (Mochena), VAD (Valdostana);

Stone seats

Lariana breed

Wooden seats

and buckets

Orobica breed

Wooden collars

Orobica breed

Cheese moulds

Lariana breed

Calecc’

Orobica breed

Guided pasture

Orobica breed

Traditional goats: elements

of the traditional lanscape

(Lariana breed)

Presence in forms of higher &

popular artistic expression

Bionda dell’Adamello breed

Summer pasture competitions between goats:

Valdostana breed

Matrix of Cultural dissimilarity ( 1- Dice) among 10 goats breeds

LAR PAS ROC MOC VLS VER ORO BIO VAD CIA 0.4074 0.4286 0.4444 0.4667 0.1818 0.3103 0.3636 0.2500 0.3043 LAR 0.6842 0.5652 0.6000 0.3333 0.0588 0.4074 0.3793 0.4286 PAS 0.6364 0.2500 0.5714 0.7143 0.5714 0.6250 0.6000 ROC 0.6364 0.4444 0.6000 0.4444 0.5000 0.3333 MOC 0.2727 0.6364 0.4667 0.5294 0.5000 VLS 0.3103 0.1818 0.1667 0.2174 VER 0.4483 0.3548 0.4667 ORO 0.3333 0.3043 BIO 0.2800

Genetic analysis (26 microsatellites; 291 individuals): Estimation of genetic distances among the ten

goat populations farmed on the Italian Alpine ark

0.1

CIA

LAR

36

Oro

bio

VLD

49

44

ROC

PAS

TRE

58

17

VAL

VRZ

52

8

11

Mantel regression ; Pearson correlation coeff.

Genetic distances - geographical distances

-0.42 ; -0.10 n.s.

Genetic distances - cultural dissimilarity

-1.26 ; -0.28 n.s.

Cultural dissimilarity - geographical distances

1.94 ; 0.48 P = 0.02

Three matrices: genetic distances, cultural dissimilarity, geographic

distances

Cultural values of local breeds in CES?

Cultural ecosystem service (CES) definitions:

• Costanza et al. (1997): the ‘‘aesthetic, artistic, educational, spiritual and/or scientific values of ecosystems’’

• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005): ‘‘the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences,’’ including: cultural diversity, spiritual and religious values, knowledge systems, educational values, inspiration, aesthetic values, social relations, sense of place, cultural heritage values, and recreation and ecotourism.

• Chan et al. (2012): ecosystems' contributions to the non-material benefits that arise from human–ecosystem relationships.

Services, Values, Benefits, MA includes a diverse set of things in their list of categories of ecosystem services: benefits, services, values, and activities. We should distinguish between these diverse things:

• Services, are the ecosystem processes underpinning benefits

• Benefits, as valued goods and experiences, are the level at which people can most easily relate ecosystems to themselves.

• Values are the preferences, principles and virtues that we hold as individuals or groups. (Principle-based / preference-based; Market-mediated / non-market mediated)

Cultural services produce a number of intangible and nonmarket/market benefits that

in turn hold different kind of values.

• SERVICES BENEFITS (directly affect humane welfare )

•

• Biodiversity

• Recreation / tourism (capital?)

• Landscape

• Cultural identity /sense of place

• Handcrafts

• Aesthetic

• Gastronomy

• Artistic inspiration

Economic evaluation

ES concept widely associated to monetary evaluation:

– enthusiasm

– contestation

Many ECS are difficult to value in monetary terms (e.g. spiritual values, cultural identity, social cohesion).

• Not necessary / useful to value all ECS ?

• Necessary /useful to identify and analyse all ECS !

Can cultural ecosystem service capture cultural services of all

breeds?

• Cultural values of local breeds not linked to agro-ecosystems? (not grazing? ex situ in vivo?)

Incorporating cultural aspects of local breeds into CES - Final remarks

• Maintain a disaggregated view of the different cultural ecosystem services, rather than treating all CES as presenting the same issues and problems.

• Keep CES not necessary associated to monetary evaluation