INTRODUCTION – THE POSSIBILITY OF HEALTHY-SAFE FOOD PRODUCTION IN PROTECTED AREAS

According to definition of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the protected area is „a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values“ (IUCN, 2008). In context of this definition, the conservation of nature represents a basic goal and in case of conflict of interests, it has a priority. It implies in-situ maintenance of biodiversity (genetic, species and ecosystem), geo-diversity and other natural values, i.e. the preservation of ecosystems and natural and semi-natural habitats and species in their natural surroundings.

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Associated eco-system services comprise: water and food supply; protection from floods and drought; prevention from land degradation and spreading of diseases; improvement of soil fertility; satisfaction of recreational, spiritual and religious needs and other non-material benefits (Dudley, 2008: 8-10).
The basic benefits from protected areas result from their values and services, which enable sustainable use of land in agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishery; development of sustainable tourism and traffic; increase of employment and providing healthy and productive life. It makes a base of sustainable rural and regional development, contributing to development of regional and national identity (Ostermann, 2009: 11).

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The use of agricultural land in protected areas requires integral management of natural resources, in a way to ensure the environment and landscapes protection and conservation of flora and fauna and their habitats, on principles of sustainable agricultural and rural development (SARD), which „is environmentally non-degrading, technologically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable“ (Crowley et al., 2007: 2).

Sustainable agriculture in ecologically – sensitive areas leans on traditional methods of production, which have been resulted by „co-evolution of local social and environmental systems and that exhibit a high level of ecological rationale expressed through the intensive use of local knowledge and natural resources, which have been handed down from generation to generation, including the management of agro-biodiversity“ (Altieri, 2002). This „microcosm of rural inheritance“ ensures cultural and ecological services, not only to a local population, but also to a human kind in general, by preserving traditional knowledge and skills in land cultivation, autochthonous plant varieties and animal breeds and authentic socio-cultural organization (Altieri, 2004).

The scientists nowadays, when solving modern problems in production and protection of natural resources and environment, turn more often to wealthy funds of ethno-ecologists from which they gather centuries-old knowledge about soil and water protection, biodiversity conservation, climate and natural cycles, healthy nutrition and spiritual balance and symbiosis between a man and nature.

Izvori

1. Altieri A. M.: Traditional Agriculture. Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. University of California, Berkeley, p. 1-13., 2002, http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~christos/articles/ traditional_ag.html;
2.  Altieri A. M.: „Linking ecologists and traditional farmers in the search for sustainable agriculture“. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 35-42, 2004, http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002%5B0035:LEATFI% 5D2.0. CO%3B2
3.  Dudley, N., ed.: Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. IUCN, x + 86pp. Gland, Switzerland, 2008, http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/ edocs/PAPS-016.pdf
4. Crowley, E., Mahler, J.P., Kueneman, E., Aldington, T., Koohafkan, P., Price, T., Neely, C., Legros, D., Dejene, A.: History of SARD at FAO, FAO, p. 1-12, 2007, ftp://ftp.fao.org/SD/SDA/SDAR/sard/History%20of%20SARD%20at%20FAO.pdf
5. Ostermann, O.:  „Overview of benefits, values and services of protected areas“. In S. Stolton, ed. Communicating values and benefits of protected areas in Europe. BfN and EUROPARC Federation, p. 9-11. Island of Vilm, Germany, 2009

Autori: Marija Nikolić,  Vesna Popović