Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, pp 340-347, 2015 Copyright © 2015 Trakia University Available online at: http://www.uni-sz.bg ISSN 1313-7069 (print) doi:10.15547/tjs.2015.s.01.058 ISSN 1313-3551 (online)

REGIONAL APPROACH TO PRESERVATION OF FOOD RELATED BIODIVERSITY

D. Dimitrova1*, T. Ivanova1, M. Chervenkov2, Y. Bosseva1, M. Rumiz3

1Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 2Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria 3Slow Food International, Bra, Italy

ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Strategy and major results of the Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of Rural Areas (ESSEDRA) project are presented. The project relies on collaborative network involving 8 Balkan countries (including Turkey) with leading partnership of Slow Food International and European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (UK). The overall purpose is to involve local communities in protecting the environment, especially in safeguarding agrobiodiversity and related traditional knowledge, to mitigate the impact of climate change and to secure the sustainable development of rural areas. METHODS: The activities aim at advocating the role of small-scale farmers in biodiversity protection, promoting targeted models and actions to preserve biodiversity, and exchanging best practices and knowledge at a multiregional level. RESULTS: Outcomes from the first stage of the project are presented and in the overall Balkan agriculture tendencies is discussed focusing on the current problems in Bulgarian small-scale agriculture. CONCLUSIONS: Steps for common approach for community-based regional development, biodiversity conservation, policy influencing, advocacy and capacity building in the field, collaboration between stakeholders are proposed.

Key words: plant varieties, animal breeds, agrobiodiversity, local communities

INTRODUCTION comprise ca. 46% of the country’s territory, The balance between the growing food demand placing Bulgaria among the EU countries with and nature preservation is an on-going global highest percentage of agricultural land (11). issue that could be hardly solved fast and with The structure of agriculture in Bulgaria is single-side decisions (1-3). Land use activities bipolar. Farm holdings with less than 5 ha of have threatened and degraded ecosystems and used agricultural land constitute 91% of all their functioning worldwide (4). European holdings but they possess 5.2% of the whole agriculture is simultaneously suffering of cultivated land and produce 8.7% of the increasing intensification and land standard production volume. There is a abandonment in some rural areas. Both trends tendency towards an increase of the average have a negative impact on farmland farm size. However, a parallel trend is the biodiversity and the livelihood of local concentration of cultivated land in large communities (5, 6). Current European policies holdings (with more than 100 ha of agricultural strive to mingle economic growth and land) and in 2010 these large holdings possess sustainable biodiversity usage. However the 82.4% of the whole agricultural land. The effects are yet to be discussed (7-10). number of farms with land between 5 and 50 ha rapidly increases but the land that they Utilized agricultural areas in Bulgaria manage remains small - 7.9%. This trend ______persists over the first programming period and *Correspondence to: Dessislava Dimitrova, in 2014 85% of the agricultural land is owned Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and by large establishments which represent only Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 23, 4% of all farms (12). Parallel to these trends Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria, e- are the continuous depopulation of the mail: [email protected] Bulgarian rural areas, accompanied by aging of

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DIMITROVA D., et al. the rural population and high unemployment previous knowledge on local food biodiversity rates (13). and food communities; areas with preserved nature and local livelihoods; developed rural The above presented situation in Bulgarian tourism and small-scale and artisan food rural areas poses a serious threat to traditional production. The core of the questionnaire food products, local plant varieties and breeds. consists of the following types of information: They fall victims not only to the unfavourable • name of the product, including in the social-economic changes, globalization and local dialect; industrial agriculture, but also to the rigid • description of the product; hygiene rules that have been imposed to • history of the product origin and Bulgarian farmers in the course of the EU primary area of production; accession. The EU regulations have been • approximate quantities of production; implemented in Bulgaria without economic • commercialization of the product analysis of their impact on Bulgarian farmers. (access to market or home consumption); The flexibility provisions for the • existing and potential threats. implementation of the EU hygiene package have not been implemented in the national Statistical data on Bulgarian agricultural sector legal framework as a result of which the were obtained from the National yearbooks of traditional farming and artisan food production the National Statistical Institute of Republic of have been doomed to extinction. Bulgaria, the reports of the Agrostatistics department in the Ministry of Agriculture and The new CAP (2014-2020) is calling for a Food (MAF), Bulgarian official variety lists greener and better balanced rural development and Information system EFABIS of the in Europe where farmers are the central driving Executive Agency for Selection and force. Engaging rural stakeholders and Reproduction in Animal Breeding (EASRAB) communities is needed to achieve (14-21). advancement in the processes of rural development. Local mobilisation, community RESULTS AND DISCUSSION initiatives, but also building honest Livestock breeding partnerships between stakeholders and Since 1980 the count of farm animals in governments are the prerequisites for success. Bulgaria has been significantly reduced. This It has to come from the communities trend is very tangible after 1990, when the themselves, but it has to be supported by transition from centrally planned to market decision makers and policies. It is a two-way economy system started. This was clearly process between rural communities and demonstrated in the case with the main decision makers who create policies that productive livestock. The reduction of the requires a lot of effort and the right tools to number of animals from 1990 to 2014 is very make it possible. large – 5.94 times for sheep, 2.64 times for cattle and 7.58 times for pigs (Figure 1). A Therefore, in 2013 the project ESSEDRA variety of reasons for this drop down can be (Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic mentioned. The collective farms were Development of Rural Areas) was launched privatized and the land and animals were (www.essedra.com). A major achievement of restituted. Many of the new land owners (or this project is the inventory of food-related their heirs) had neither the knowledge, nor the biodiversity in the and Turkey. In the desire to practice livestock breeding or present paper we focus on the findings in agriculture. This process lead to decrease of Bulgaria and discuss their importance for the the number of farm animals, along with the preservation of Bulgarian genetic resources amount of land used for forage production. The and their potential for sustainable development decrease of the state support to animal of small businesses in rural areas. We discuss husbandry in the pre-accession period and the also the potential of the agro-ecological import of cheaper agricultural goods measures to support these efforts that are additionally have worsened the situation in envisaged by the EC regulation № 1305/2013 Bulgaria. The mass privatization of the and are included in the Bulgarian RDP (2014- factories for processing wool and leather, 2020). cheese dairies, slaughter houses and processing facilities also have caused MATERIAL AND METHODS deterioration of the sector. The result is that the The study has been conducted since December international markets for animal products 2012 in rural areas of Bulgaria. The areas of originating from Bulgaria have been lost. Last inventory were preselected based on previous but not least, a considerable decline has been experience of the experts and available observed in the activities of the artificial literature; existing local communities and Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, 2015 341

DIMITROVA D., et al. insemination centres, the livestock breeding animal products increased in order to satisfy and agricultural institutes in the country. As a the needs of the Bulgarian population. This result a vast majority of animals were trend is illustrated by the example with the slaughtered or sold abroad and the import of consumption of red meat (Figure 2).

Figure 1. Main productive farm animals count in the period 1980-2014 (source: National Statistical Institute).

Figure 2. National production, trade and consumption of red meat in 2014 (soure: MAF Agrostatistics).

In 2014 a total of 98,232 tons (in carcass As a result of the economic changes in the last weight) of red meat was produced – 63% of 25 years, the size of the populations of the the meat was obtained in registered slaughter traditional and indigenous animal breeds has houses and 37% in the farms of the country been substantially reduced. From the officially (20). The red meat from the private farms is listed 45 Bulgarian autochthonous breeds 30 mainly for personal use and has no serious are under the control of breeding associations market share. The figure shows that pork is the (22). There are on-going efforts for the most used red meat for human consumption, creation of new breeding associations, new followed by beef and less lamb and goat. animals are categorized and new farmers get When beef and especially pork meat are involved in the breeding of autochthonous concerned a pronounced disproportion between animals (23). Recognizing the importance of national production and consumption is indigenous breeds as precious genetic resource observed. The insufficient local production of a special agro-ecological measure within main red requires a great amount of SAPARD and Rural Development Program import to satisfy the needs of the Bulgarian (2007 – 2013) has provided financial support consumers. For instance, the imported pork for farmers who rear such animals. During the meat is two times bigger than the domestic first programming period of RDP under the production. The overall use of lamb and goat Measure 214 "Agro-ecological payments" meat in the country gives way to other types of ("Preservation of endangered local breeds") meat, mostly due to their higher prices and the financial support was provided for 4 cattle significant reduction in local production. breeds, 1 buffalo breed , 3 goat breeds, 4 horse

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DIMITROVA D., et al. breeds, 2 breeds of pigs and 20 sheep breeds. the cereals, has dramatically dropped down Unfortunately some breeds were included only (Figure 3). The most alarming is the 3-fold in 2013 which prevented their support under reduction in the production that has the previous RDP (24). In 2014 the not been halted after the accession of Bulgaria implementation of this measure resulted in the to the EU and the implementation of the RDP increase of the population size of most of the (2007-2013). Correspondingly the recent subsidized breeds (23 out of 34) compared to analysis of agricultural sectors eligible for 2009. According to EFABIS information support from RDP ordered by the Bulgarian system best results were achieved in the MAF has outlined this negative tendency following breeds: Rhodope Shorthorn Cattle - during the first programming period 2007- from 361 (2009) to 1624 (2014); Bulgarian 2013 (25). The same authors point out that Gray Cattle - from 1156 (2009) to 2990 (2014) unbalanced state support for the cereal crop ); Kalofer Long-Haired Goat - from 727 (2011) producers, low competitiveness of the to 2404 (2014); Local Long-Haired Goat - extensive and vegetable farms and the from 515 (2013) to 2025 (2014); Karakachan deterioration of the ameliorative systems in the Horse - from 264 (2009) to 2800 (2014); country are among the main factors for the Patch-faced Maritza Sheep - from 1887 (2009) reduction of the national production and to 4065 (2014); .Duben Sheep - from 3532 increase of the import of fresh and (2009) to 7077 (2014); Cooper-Red Shumen . Thus, the strong trend for Sheep - from 3436 (2009) to 6823 (2014); diminishing and irregularity of the yields do /Stara Planina Tzygay - from not allow Bulgarian fruits and vegetables (and 1074 (2009) to 8334 (2014). Unfortunately, in related food produce) to gain popularity and some breeds such as East Bulgarian Horse, stable markets. Additionally replacement of Danube White Pig, Koprivshtitsa Sheep, local varieties with foreign ones and Breznik Sheep, North-East Bulgarian Merino termination of the breeder’s rights of many of Sheep, there is even a decline, which is even the indigenous plant varieties aggravated the dramatic in the case of North-East Bulgarian reduction of Bulgarian varietal diversity. A Merino Sheep - from 6457 in 2009 to 3000 in comparison of the List of the conservation 2014. The impact of Measure 214 has been varieties adopted in 2015 and National variety most positive in the mountainous and semi- lists for 2000-2003 confirms this unfavourable mountainous regions, where the opportunities transition. Out of the 222 varieties included in for intensive agriculture are smaller. However, the List of the Bulgarian conservation in the lowlands, the traditional pastoralism varieties, 35% were part of the Bulgarian could not compete with intensive crop official variety lists in the early 2000’s production and other land-use practices (23). (regardlessly in List A, B or the supplements). The Bulgarian famous varieties of cucumbers, Crop production sweet peppers, beans, onions, , etc. Similarly to the livestock breeding, a severe today constitute a significant part of the decline is typical for the Bulgarian crop national list of the conservation plant varieties farming as well. In the post-accession period (Figure 4). the production of all major crops, except for

Figure 3. Production of fruits, vegetables and in 2000-2014 (source: MAF Agrostatistics).

Lack of agro-statistical data on variety level has declined. However, the increased import for fruits and vegetables in the last years does and on-going registration of foreign varieties in not allow us to determine the extent to which the Bulgarian variety list indicate quite adverse the cultivation of varieties of Bulgarian origin state of the indigenous plant genetic resources.

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DIMITROVA D., et al. Following the EC regulation № 1305/2013, the meet the market demand. Regarding the rich new Bulgarian RDP (2014-2020) includes an diversity of the Bulgarian local landraces and agro-ecological measure to support the varieties the adopted list of the conservation cultivation of conservation varieties in order to varieties does not cover even a small part of prevent their extinction. This measure could the available resources (26). The provide additional profit for interested small limitedsuccess of the implementation of the producers and some compensation to the non- “conservation” directives (27, 28) in the for-profit variety maintainers (many of them Member states should forewarn Bulgarian are research institutes or private breeders). The authorities about the obstacles in setting limited production capacity of such producers sustainable basis for effective preservation and and restrictions in conservation variety promotion of the genetic resources cultivation, however, could not be expected to conservation on farm. (29).

Figure 4. Crop species with five or more varieties included in the Bulgarian national conservation list (source: MAF, Executive agency for variety testing, field inspection and seed control).

ESSEDRA field research outcomes These include popular denominations like The need for specific efforts to maintain the Kurtutovska kapiya, several varieties, local breeds and varieties of Bulgarian origin is Rhodope short-horn cattle, East Balkan swine, demonstrated by the outcomes from the field Karakachan sheep, etc. Moreover the decrease research within ESSEDRA project. About 1/2 of local breeds and varieties impacts of the accessed endangered food biodiversity production of artisanal traditional products like are local plant varieties and animal breeds pestil (Karadjeka plum), Cherni Vit Green (Figure 5). cheese (Teteven sheep) and local wines.

Figure 5. Number of Bulgarian endangered food products, plant varieties and livestock breeds nominated for the Slow Food Ark of Taste.

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DIMITROVA D., et al.

The major threats that have been identified in monoculture approach makes Bulgarian the interviews with producers and farmers are agriculture susceptible to major losses due to presented on Figure 6. It is obvious that the mass diseases and climate change. strongest driver for the decrease of food- Furthermore, Bulgaria is losing fast its food related biodiversity is the replacement of local sovereignty and becomes dependent of the autochthonous breeds and varieties with few import of basic food (fruits, vegetables, milk newer and/or foreign ones. On the one hand and meat). Abandonment of remote rural areas the result is expected to be the erosion of the unfavourable for conventional agriculture and Bulgarian genetic resources. On the other, the stock breeding is increasing.

Figure 6. Major threats for food-related biodiversity in Bulgaria.

CONCLUSIONS specialities. So far only 5 products are The weak national economy stimulates the registered as ‘traditional speciality guaranteed consumption of cheap food, most often of low (TSG) and 2 products are registered as quality. In the same time the demand for high protected geographical indications (PGI) (31). quality food is rising and Bulgarian consumers are looking for sources of food alternatives to The agro-ecological measures envisaged in the large retailers. Thus the consumer demands in Bulgarian new RDP are expected to stimulate the country are in parallel with the European the cultivation of local plant varieties and trend where there is a fast growing quest for breeding of autochthonous breeds. The healthy and gourmet food with annual growth economic feasibility of such initiatives could rate of 15-25% and 5-10% respectively (30). be improved by proper legal regulation of Additionally Bulgarian consumer is still processing of raw materials on farm and/or in attached to its memories for home-made food small-scale community-managed enterprises. and therefore is prone to marketing tricks that Currently such possibility is regulated by fake “traditional” tastes. This weakens the trust Ordinance 26 which refers to direct sales of in artisan food and hinders the restoration and food of animal origin. This should be extended establishment of recognisable Bulgarian food to fruit and vegetable processing as well. Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, 2015 345

DIMITROVA D., et al. Today only 464 producers of primary products 6. Baldock, D., Beaufoy G., Brouwer, F., (332 for honey) and 8 – for processed products Godeschalk, F., Farming at the Margins; (7 for milk and 1 for meat) are registered Abandonment or Redeployment of according to Ordinance 26. To increase the Agricultural Land in Europe IEEP-LEI, number of farmers who avail of this regulation London & The Hague, 1996. further amendments of the legal act are needed 7. Verhulst, J., Báldi, A., Kleijn, D., in compliance with the flexibility provisions Relationship between land-use intensity and measures envisaged by DG Sante (32). species richness and abundance of birds in Flexible implementation of the hygiene Agriculture. Ecosystems & package compliant with the economic Environment, 104: 465-473, 2004. background of small-scale farmers in Bulgaria 8. Bianchi, F., Mikos, V., Brussaard L., could boost local economies creating added Delbaere, B., Pulleman, M., Opportunities value businesses (33). Such approach would and limitations for functional also increase the effective utilization of the agrobiodiversity in the European context. financial support under RDP (2014-2020) and Environmental Science & Policy 27: 223- will help to achieve one of its main goals – 231, 2013. well balanced development of rural areas. The 9. Delbaere, B., Mikos V., Pulleman, M., need for improvement of administrative European Policy Review: Functional capacity and procedures are needed in order to agrobiodiversity supporting sustainable increase the number of farmers willing to agriculture Journal for Nature Conservation apply for financial support is promoted also by 22: 193-194, 2014. other authors (23). A state policy specifically 10. Brussaard, L., Caron, P., Campbell, B., oriented to promotion of national genetic Lipper, L., Mainka, S., Rabbinge, R., resources on a larger scale would ensure Babin, D., Pulleman M., Reconciling national food sovereignty and clear support for biodiversity conservation and food security: the Bulgarian producers seeking recognition scientific challenges for a new agriculture. through the EU quality schemes. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2: 34-42, 2010. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 11. Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Republic This work is funded by ESSEDRA - of Bulgaria, Agrostatistics department, Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic Results and analyses, № 276, 2014. Development of Rural Areas 12. Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Republic (EuropeAid/132438/C/ACT/Multi Contract n. of Bulgaria, Agrostatistics department, 2012/ 307-143). Annual report on the situation and development of agriculture, 2014. REFERENCES 13. Mladenov, C., and Ilieva, M., The 1. Donald, P.F., Green, R.E., Heath M.F., depopulation of the Bulgarian villages. Agricultural intensification and the collapse Bulletin of Geography. Socio–economic of Europe's farmland bird populations. Proc Series, 17: 99–107, 2012. Royal Soc Biol Sci Series B, 268: 25-32, 14. Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Republic 2001. of Bulgaria, Executive agency for variety 2. Green, R., Cornell, S., Scharlemann J., testing, field inspection and seed control, Balmford A., Farming and the fate of wild Bulgarian official variety list, Sofia, 2000. nature. Science, 307: 550-555, 2005. 15. Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Republic 3. Godfray, H., Beddington, J., Crute, I, of Bulgaria, Executive agency for variety Haddad, L., Lawrence, D., Muir, J., testing, field inspection and seed control, Toulmin, C., Food security: the Challenge Bulgarian official variety list, Sofia, 2001. of Feeding 9 Billion People. Science, 327 16. Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Republic (5967): 812-818, 2010. of Bulgaria, Executive agency for variety 4. Foley, J., DeFries, R., Asner, G., Barford, testing, field inspection and seed control, C., Bonan, G., Carpenter, S., Chapin, Bulgarian official variety list, Sofia, 200- F.,Coe, M.,. Daily, G., Gibbs, H., 2003. Helkowski, J., Holloway, T., Howard, E., 17. National Statistical Institute, 129 years Kucharik, Ch., Monfreda, Ch., Patz, Bulgarian statistic. NSI, Sofia, 2009 J.,Prentice, I., Ramankutty, N., Snyder, P., 18. National Statistical Institute of Republic of Global Consequences of Land Use. Bulgaria, Statistical yearbook 2014. NSI, Science, 309: 570-574, 2005. Sofia, 2010. 5. World Resources Institute, Millennium 19. National Statistical Institute of Republic of Ecosystem Assessment, Ecosystems and Bulgaria Statistical yearbook 2015. NSI, Human Well-being: Biodiversity Synthesis. Sofia, 2015. Washington, DC, USA, 2005. 346 Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, 2015

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