FAO to award GIAHS certificate to Estahban rainfed fig
orchards soon

An official with Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture said the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is finalizing its
decision to award the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)
certificate to Estahban Rainfed Fig Orchards.

Ali Kiani-Rad said recently that Professor Lee, a scientific
advisor to GIAHS Secretariat, is visiting the site currently and the process is
in its final stages.

The Iranian entrée was designated by the GIAHS Scientific
Advisory Group in 2019 but the process was halted due to the spread of the
COVID-19. Iran is one of the most important figs producers in the world, while
the city of Estahban, counting 2.200.000 thousand fig trees in 22.613 hectares,
is the most important center for figs production. Gardeners in the region have
valuable experiences in the process of planting, harvesting and preserving the
rain-fed figs.

The figs crops are here maintained in the traditional way
and the irrigation system is a unique way of water and soil management for figs
cultivation. This is based on a method that makes easier the water flow through
figs crops during rainfall, minimizing at the same time the possibility of
erosion and flooding.

Figs are not the only products of this system. In fact,
Estahban gardeners also cultivate other horticultural varieties such as grapes,
almonds, olives, pomegranates, walnuts, apricots, apples and saffron. Thanks to
the climatic conditions, soil features and the water management system
developed in Estahban there are vegetation fields that grow along figs crops
and they are mostly cultivated with carrot plants. This unique way of territory
management is the result of the coexistence and adaptation between man and
nature.