Enhancing rural Caucasian livelihoods through fruit and nut conservation.

Abstract

• Species of plants that are typically harvested (or foraged) from wild populations are often known as neglected and underutilised species (NUS). They are generally overlooked by agricultural researchers, plant breeders and policy makers alike, despite increasing evidence showing their potential to improve the livelihoods of local people and communities. Additionally, many of these species – along with the traditional knowledge regarding their harvesting sites, use and processing techniques – are being lost at an alarming rate, threatening not only local biodiversity, but cultural diversity as well. The South Caucasus is truly a unique place, both botanically and culturally. The region holds over 6,500 plant species and an unusually high number of endemics (plants not found anywhere else in the world). It also boasts a high concentration of wild relatives of modern crop varieties, including fruits, berries and nuts. These wild relatives are valuable as they provide a direct livelihood and nutrition to local communities, and potentially hold key genetic traits to help adapt modern domesticated crops to future environments. In Georgia and Armenia, fruits and nuts are strongly linked to the economy and people’s culture. Unfortunately, the habitats that these species are found in are rapidly being threatened by anthropogenic activities (logging and pollution), while some wild harvested species are at risk from unsustainable harvesting.