AGRI-DRY

The interest in traditional agriculture is a worldwide trend: as people reclaim their heritage, they increasingly turn to lessons learned by their ancestors about how to sustainability interact with their environment. The network "Dryland agriculture and Land use; past, present and future resilience [AGRI-DRY]" aims to develop an interdisciplinary approach to traditional crop cultivation through the recognition of the complementary value of cultural heritage and sustainable living. Human cultural development is inextricably linked with the development of agriculture. This bond resulted in the "domestication" of the biological and physical environments around us, and historically shaped and engendered present-day landscapes. Agricultural landscapes are a testimony to humanity's long interaction with the land, often-unique examples of the whole people-nature system. They demonstrate a rich cultural and landscape diversity, sustainable land-use systems and, in some cases, people's daily struggle for survival under extreme climatic and environmental conditions. It is now recognized the key role of traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities for ecosystem management and sustainable use of resources in the light of climate change. AGRI-DRY aims to bring about a significant reorientation of European and African doctoral training in traditional agriculture. The change will involve both substance and approach. The substance is the strong focus on rigorous techniques for interdisciplinary research. The approach is the emphasis on both research and applicative work, through the participation of both academic and advocacy and policy-making institutions. AGRI-DRY represents a unique opportunity for European young researchers to form a "critical mass" and enjoy a wide array of training opportunities that will be competitive with the best programmes offered outside Europe.