In situ landraces: best practice evidence-based database
A tool for promoting landrace conservation

In recent years, the market of ‘Aglione della Val di Chiana’ has been quickly growing both locally and nationally. The landrace is commercialised as row product (i.e. bulbs and cloves) or also as processed products such as ready-to-use sauces, creams, and jams.

Many local restaurants use ‘Aglione della Val di Chiana’ for the preparation of a typical main course: the so-called ‘Pici all’Aglione’.

The interest on the landrace also caught the attention of the other European and non-European markets. The product has been recently exported in USA and Japan.

This landrace has been recognized as ‘Prodotto Agroalimentare Tipico’ (PAT, litteraly Typical Food Product) by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through the technical support of Regione Toscana. The PAT recognition is based on evidence that demonstrate the use of a landrace (or a processed foodstuff) in a certain area for at least 25 years.

In recent years, ‘Aglione della Val di Chiana’ also caught the interest of the ‘Slow Food’ foundation that included it into a group of products called ‘the Ark of Taste’; this initiative aims at drawing attention on products at risk of extinction by inviting people to take action in order to protect them.

Currently, ‘Regione Toscana’, within the EU’s Rural Development Plan 2014-2020, funded an historical research and morpho-phenological and genetic characterisation of the landrace in order to include it on the ‘Registro regionale delle varietà locali’ (Regional register of landraces) of Toscana Region. This activity is foreseen in the implementation of the Tuscany Region Law (n. 64, 1997) which is aimed at safeguarding and promoting the cultivation of local genetic resources).

The ‘Almagro’ eggplant is marketed canned in different sizes and has an important local market. However, it is also frequent to find it in many supermarkets in several parts of the country, including the center of Spain and some parts of the rest of Spain where a large immigration from the Center of Spain took place in the 1960s to 1980s, such as Barcelona or Valencia. The pickled ‘Almagro’ eggplant is mostly used as starter or for eating informally as tapas. More recently, some farmers are also exploring the possibility of marketing the fruits for the fresh fruit market, as they have a distinctive fruit morphology.

Obtaining the PGI status in 1994 (http://www.cerespain.com/berenjena-de-almagro-reglamento.html) certainly added a considerable value to the ‘Almagro’ landrace, as costumers have a guarantee of quality and a protection against fakes (Hurtado et al., 2014). Up to now, the ‘Almagro’ eggplant is the only eggplant in Europe having a PGI or PDO status. The fact that ‘Almagro’ is, among the eggplant varieties, one with the highest content in phenolics has also contribute to adding value to this variety, as the high content in these antioxidants is used in advertisements.

‘Fava Santorinis’ has a yellowish colour and flattened discoid shape with a diameter of about 2 mm and a maximum humidity of 13%. Its composition is characterized by a particularly high percentage of proteins and increased carbohydrate content. The traditional method of production which includes drying under the sun and ripening and the physicochemical characteristics of fava make it easily boiled (shorter cooking time is required) and ultimately add to the cooked Fava of Santorini and other dishes in which it is used, unique organoleptic characteristics, such as velvety texture and slightly sweet taste. It is used as appetizer, main or side dish. Undoubtedly, even today, it plays an important role in the gastronomic identity of the island and in the Mediterranean diet, as well.

Till recently it had a rich, local niche market due to the limited production. Hence, steps are made to increase the production and the promotion of the product to other European and non-European markets and the market for fava was expanded the last years, while people from all over the world can by on-line all the products of the Union of Santorini Cooperatives from its e-shop. Most of the farmers sell the products by the Union of Santorini Cooperatives or other private companies who are responsible for the packing and the labeling.

The unique ecosystem that was created by the volcanic explosions on Santorini island, the volcanic ash, the barren, sandy soil, and the resilience of the plant to poor drainage lands, humidity created by the sea, drought, heavy winds and its adaptability to the volcanic soil of the island make it a resource with an important agronomic and commercial value and optimal organoleptic qualities.

In 2010 ‘Fava Santorinis’ was registered into the European Catalogue of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products (EC No: EL-PDO-0005-0520-09.01.2006) following the COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs. The PDO ‘Fava Santorinis’ offers high income to growers since it is four to five times more expensive than regular ‘Fava’ coming from fava beans (Vicia faba) or from peas (Pisum sativum) locally called ‘arakas’. Furthermore, other cultivated Fabaceae such as V. faba subsp. major (cultivated for food) and subsp. minor (cultivated for feed) also called Fava, frequently could mislead the consumers. The same is true for peas whose seed products are locally called ‘arakas’ and for other Lathyrus spp.

For this reason, in 2012, the School of Agriculture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Institute of Agrobiotechnology of the Centre of Research and Technology Hellas suggested a method using HRM (High resolution Melting) coupled with universal chloroplast DNA barcoding regions (Bar-HRM) in order to distinguish legume species (four Lathyrus, two Vicia and two Pisum species which potentially could be used as adulterants in ‘Fava Santorinis’ commercial products) and moreover to authenticate ‘Fava Santorinis’ commercial PDO products (Ganopoulos et. al. 2012).

‘Broccolo fiolaro di Creazzo’ has a rich local market. However, no official data is available on the market price and the overall turnover.

This landrace has been also recognized as ‘Prodotto Agroalimentare Tipico’ (PAT, literally Typical Food Product) by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through technical support of Region Veneto. The PAT recognition is based on evidences that demonstrate the use of a landrace (or a processed foodstuff) in a certain area for at least 25 years.

In recent years, ‘Broccolo Fiolaro’ also caught the interest of the ‘Slow Food’ foundation that included it into a group of products called ‘the Ark of Taste’; this initiative aims at drawing attention on products at risk of extinction by inviting people to take action in order to protect them.

The cultivation methods and phases, that were part of the local oral tradition, were formalised into written guidelines that farmers need to endorse in order to be part of the agricultural society. The above-mentioned agronomical practices are analogous to the ones used under organic farming systems and thus constitutes an additional value for the final product.

Finally, FIOI Società Agricola Produttori del Broccolo Fiolaro di Creazzo recently implemented a website in which an important section reports useful information on the landrace (http://www.broccolofiolaro-fioi.it/).

The 'De Penjar' landrace is commercialized as trusses, as well as in different formats and types of containers. Between the 90 and 95% of the Valencian 'De Penjar' tomato production goes to the market of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Currently there is an upward trend of the growing surface, and the cultivation in greenhouses is starting in Alcalà de Xivert to allow provide the product to Catalonia during all the year.

From the mid-20th century to the present, the cultivation of tomato 'De Penjar' has been acquiring a traditional character that, together with the artisanal care of the growers and the geological and climatological peculiarities of the Valencian growing areas, has managed to differentiate substantially this tomato from those that are produced in our country. This raised the interest of the consumers and marketers of Catalonia from the second half of the 80s, reaching nowadays to absorb the Catalan market almost the total production of tomato 'De Penjar' produced in Valencia.

The ‘Associació de Productors i Comercialitzadors de Tomata de Penjar d’Alcalà de Xivert’ was established in 2007 with the aim of revalorizing this tomato landrace. In its effort to preserve the traditional farming, create a brand and thus open new markets, this association got in 2008 the Quality Mark CV (Valencian Community) for the ‘Tomata de Penjar d’Alcalà de Xivert’. This mark, granted by the local Valencian Government, contributed to the valorization of this product. In addition, the uniqueness of this tomato is recognized and its quality is authenticated, as well as its traditional production and its ecological value (Escrivá et al., 2010). This Association (https://tomatadepenjar.com/es) carry out several activities for the promotion, mainly through agro-food fairs and the organization of a specific fair on ‘Tomata De Penjar d’Alcalà de Xivert’. Also, through this Association, some collaborations with the Universitat Politècnica de València have been established to undertake breeding programs and design new agro-food products (Figás et al., 2018; Pereira et al., 2018).

Traditionally this variety is grown in the region of Geneva. In 2011 only seven farmers cultivated ‘Epineux argenté de Plainpalais’ in this region, harvesting between 100 and 130 tonnes per year. The harvest is mostly sold in the local market. Outside of Geneva this speciality is hardly known.

‘Epineux argenté de Plainpalais’ has been awarded and protected in 2003 with the designation of origin ‘Cardon épineux genevois AOP’ (Appellation d’Origine Protégéé). It is the only vegetable in Switzerland with the AOP label. Since its certification, the popularity of “Epineux argenté de Plainpalais” has increased not only within the Geneva region but throughout Switzerland. This cardoon variety has also been recognised as part of the ‘Culinary heritage of Switzerland’ (https://www.patrimoineculinaire.ch/Produkt/Cardon-de-Geneve-Cardon-epineux-genevois-AOP/110).

From 1978, through the annual event ‘Sagra del Fagiolo’, the association ‘Pro Loco Cave’ increased year by year the local market potential and the general interest on the landrace. In fact, for this event beans are processed according to traditional recipes that valorise the peculiar culinary features of the bean

The landrace is included into the Regional Register of Landraces, implementing the Umbria Region Law concerning the protection of local genetic resources (n. 25, 2001). This landrace has been also recognized as ‘Prodotto Agroalimentare Tipico’ (PAT, literally Typical Food Product) by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through the technical support of Regione Umbria. The PAT recognition is based on evidence that demonstrate the use of a landrace (or a processed foodstuff) in a certain area for at least 25 years. The PAT recognises both ‘Fagiolo verdino di Cave’ and ‘Fagiolo giallo di Cave’.

‘Pro loco Cave’ (http://prolococave.it/, Perugia, Italy) is a local association of the district of Cave (Foligno, Perugia, Italy) whose main aims are: i) cultural enhancement, ii) valorisation of territory and landscape, iii) heritage preservation and iv) development of good territorial practices. The association has been involved for decades in the valorisation, preservation and promotion ‘Fagiolo di Cave’. Throughout the past 25 years, Pro-Loco Cave favoured the traditional cultivation of the landrace and created an annual event (http://prolococave.it/sagra/) to promote the product. Currently, the association holds the brand ‘Fagiolo di Cave’ and carries out coordination activities favouring the networking among the producers.

In order to favour conservation and to valorise diversity, the collective brand ‘Fagiolo di Cave’ was registered for two types of Cave’s beans: the light green and the yellow one.

The cultivation methods and procedures, that were part of the local oral tradition, were formalised into written guidelines that farmers need to endorse in order to use the brand. The above-mentioned agronomical practices are analogous to the ones used under organic farming systems and thus constitutes an additional value for the final product.

Finally, Pro-Loco Cave recently implemented a website in which an important section reports useful information on the product and the annual event (http://prolococave.it/sagra/).

Local income from this LR can be estimated around 250,000 €. Nowadays, the ‘Monteleone di Spoleto’ emmer has undergone a successful marketing strengthening thanks to some farmers’ initiatives. In October 2002 seven local farmers constituted themselves into the ‘Association of Monteleone di Spoleto Emmer’.

The landrace is included into the Regional Register of Landraces, implementing the Umbria Region Law concerning the protection of local genetic resources (n. 25, 2001).

The ‘Monteleone di Spoleto’ emmer also holds the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label and represents a good example of successful use of territorial labels for the promotion of a product obtained from a landrace.

The unique natural environment, help to create ideal soil and climatic conditions, making it possible to grow a top quality product that is increasingly sought after on the Greek market.’Fava Feneou’ has a rich local and national market due to its quality. Most of the farmers sell the product directly and the price is lower than other fava products. Recently actions were taken from the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kiato for the promotion of the product with the participation in food exhibitions and other events but the competition in the market is high. The reputation of ‘Fava Feneou’ is confirmed by historical and bibliographical references, the use of the name on packaged products found on the market, articles in local and national newspapers, media broadcasts and material found on the internet, mainly relating to food and tourism, etc.

In 2016 ‘Fava Feneou’ was registered into the European List of Protected Designation of Origin products (EC No: EL-PGI-0005-01339-26.05.2015) following the COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs and No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21^st November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffes (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52016XC0505(01)&from=EN). As a consiquence all stages of the production process from cultivation (preparing the ground, sowing, irrigation, application of fertilizer, weed control, plant protection) to harvesting and drying the product, as well as collecting the seed for the following year's crop, must take place within the defined geographical area and the packaging bears the words ‘Fava Feveou’ PGI and all the necessary information according to the EU and national law.

The soil and climatic conditions in the Feneos area, the unique natural environment, the use of traditional cultivation methods, which have remained virtually unchanged for decades, as they still do things in the traditional way (e.g. weeding and harvesting mainly by hand) and the growers' knowledge and experience of exactly when to harvest the product, the rigorous selection of the seeds to safeguard the purity of ‘Fava Feneou’, are the factors that determine the product's specific characteristics and its superior quality. The protein, carbohydrate and plant (dietary) fiber content, characteristics make ‘Fava Feneou’ a specific, highly nutritious food for human consumption. Besides, all the local and cultural events that have taken place and continue to date in the area of Feneos and Stymphalia are closely related to the product.

Much of the production is sold directly to restaurants where it is used as an accompaniment to grilled meats or in traditional dishes. Another part is transformed into sterilized preserves or sold in markets, previously cooked. Due to the ease of identification of the seed, its promotion is based on the objective description of its sensory quality and on the way to recognize the highest quality beans (the most curved ones). At the same time, tests have been carried out to study the effects of the environment on the sensory value of the seed. Since one of the main problems of the Ganxet bean is its difficulty in obtaining sterilized preserves (a high percentage of the seeds is broken during sterilization), more suitable areas have been identified for obtaining seed for conservation (clay soils), and others more suitable for obtaining seed intended for cooking without sterilization (soils with a certain proportion of sand). This environmental differentiation is being used to explain the singularities of each terroir within the PDO, something similar to what has been done for years with other products such as wine.

The Ganxet bean has historically been recognized for its sensory characteristics and has reached a high market price. This fact, linked to its low productivity compared to other varieties of indeterminate growth that are cultivated in the area, facilitated all kinds of tricks (mixtures, using other slightly hooked varieties such as White Kidney, etc.) to increase profits. These manipulations, often carried out by intermediaries, misled the new consumers in the 80s of the past century with an uncontrolled market and little information. The achievement of the PDO in the year 2011 (http://agricultura.gencat.cat/ca/ambits/alimentacio/distintius-origen-qualitat-agroalimentaria/dop/productes-reconeixement-comunitari/mongeta-ganxet/) clearly separated the guaranteed material, with high sensory quality of the material not guaranteed. Like any new development, the implementation of the PDO regime has been slow, and the secondment of new farmers also. Most of them that have particular customers well consolidated, are reluctant to join the PDO. Currently, the market already clearly recognizes the PDO material and, as indicated above, some areas adjacent to the first protected area are in the process of being added to the geographical labelled product. Both, raw beans and processed beans, that carry the DOP label achieve prices that are clearly higher in the market. The high protein content of Ganxet (up to 28%) means also an important added value for the diet.

‘Laaer Zwiebel’ are sold directly and traded nationally and internationally.

‘Laaer Zwiebel’ is one product supported by GENUSS REGION ÖSTERREICH (The ‘Austrian Region of Enjoyment’) which is a protected brand of the AMA (Austrian Market Organisation and Paying Agency for Agriculture and Rural Development) and of the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism. Its aim is to promote regional food products of Austria. A ‘Laaer Zwiebel’ festival takes place once a year in Laa/Thaya.

In recent years the market of ‘Mascina di Montepulciano’ grown quickly both locally and nationally. The fresh fruits are characterised by a very short shelf-life that does not allow their distribution and commercialisation. Thus, fruit of this landrace are mainly processed to produce jams.

‘Mascina di Montepulciano’ has been recognized as ‘Prodotto Agroalimentare Tipico’ (PAT, litteraly Typical Food Product) by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through the technical support of Regione Toscana. The PAT recognition is based on evidences that demonstrate the use of a landrace (or a processed foodstuff) in a certain area for at least 25 years.

The PDO designation has drawn attention to this local potato strain from the north and allowed it to become a popular landrace product in homes and professional kitchens in Finland.

Main crop is sold to wholesale business to be sold as fresh in retail shops and restaurants under the brand name ‘Lapin Puikula’ in Finland. In 2010s some special products from ‘Puikula’ have been developed: ‘Lapin Puikula Chips’, ‘Puikulapommes’ and pre-cooked Puikulas for grill and oven. Some efforts for export have been made (e.g. Germany).

Since 1994 ‘Puikula’ has been accepted to the National List of Plant Varieties in Finland amongst bred cultivars (Finnish Food Authorities 2019).

‘Puikula‘ grown in the Lapland region of Finland was registered as Lapin Puikula (Lapland’s Puikula in English) in the European Union under the terms of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)  in 1997 (European Commission 2019). As the PDO product, it is production take place in ther region to which its name refers.

‘Rheintaler Ribelmais’ has been experiencing a renaissance over the last few years. Overall production in 2005 in the Reinthal region was 30 tonnes, part of which went to local restaurants, bakeries and breweries, while the other part was sold through retail businesses, both locally and nationally.

The designation ‘Rheintaler Ribelmais’, which represents an independent variety, has been protected since 2000 with the designation of origin ‘Rheintaler Ribelmais AOP’ (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) as the first cereal product of Switzerland. Numerous regional products are produced from the ‘Rheintaler Ribelmais AOP’. For example, the corn beer of the regional brewery Sonnenbräu marketed under the protected brand name Ribelgold. The ‘Rheintaler RIbelmais’ has been recognised as part of the ‘Culinary heritage of Switzerland’ (https://www.patrimoineculinaire.ch/Produkte?text=ribelmais&canton=&categorie=#285).

The landrace is very appreciated on the local market (Umbria Region), also due to the several initiatives carried out by local authorities to save the landrace by promoting its cultivation and market (see below ‘Added value’ and ‘External support’).

In order to encourage the cultivation and promote ‘Sedano Nero di Trevi’ on the local market, the association named ‘Pro Trevi’ established a festival during which the product is directly sold by the farmers and a prize is assigned to the best farmer. The event takes place in Trevi (Perugia) every year, in October.

‘Sedano Nero di Trevi’ also caught the interest of the Slow Food movement which included it among its ‘presidia’ in 2008, and, within a few years, it became a must in many top restaurants, even outside the Umbria Region.

This landrace has been also recognized as ‘Prodotto Agroalimentare Tipico’ (PAT, litteraly Typical Food Product) by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through technical support of Region Umbria. The PAT recognition is based on evidences that demonstrate the use of a landrace (or a processed foodstuff) in a certain area for at least 25 years.

In 2014 ‘Sedano Nero di Trevi’ was included into the ‘Registro Regionale delle Varietà Locali’ (‘Regional Register of Landraces’) of Umbria Region, in the implementation of the Umbria Region Law (n. 25, 2001) on genetic resources.

‘Solina’ soft wheat has a limited niche market. Thanks to the Slow Food initiative, it is common to find products also outside the Region Abruzzo. Flour of organic ‘Solina’ is currently sold for about 3.5 €/kg.

‘Solina’ has been recognized as ‘Prodotto Agroalimentare Tipico’ (PAT, litteraly Typical Food Product) by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through the technical support of Regione Abruzzo. The PAT recognition is based on evidences that demonstrate the use of a landrace (or a processed foodstuff) in a certain area for at least 25 years.

‘Solina’ also caught the interest of the Slow Food movement which included it among its ‘presidia’, and, within a few years, the derived products became a must in many top restaurants, even outside the Abruzzo Region.

Much of the production is sold directly to restaurants where it is used as an accompaniment to grilled meats or in traditional dishes (the area has a renamed gastronomic tradition, named ‘volcanic cuisine’, where beans have an important role - https://www.cuinavolcanica.cat/ca). Another part of the production is sold in an annual fair hold in the Santa Pau municipality (https://fesolsdesantapau.cat/historia-fesols-de-santa-pau/). Finally, a minor proportion is transformed into sterilized preserves or sold in markets, previously cooked. Due to the low total production since the existence of the PDO, the name of the landrace has nearly disappeared from the markets of other towns. This is good news because is the direct consequence of the PDO label that has won the battle against the fake (Photo 2).

Low optimal area of cultivation, medium but erratic production, and high demand, due to optimal sensory characteristics, give as a result high prices in the market. The fight against fake launched after the PDO establishment has even increased the prices as an enormous amount of the product in the markets has been obliged to change the name. So, this is a paradigmatic case of the benefits for farmers derived from the European geographic labels.

Undoubtedly, the small-size, anhydrous ‘Tomataki’ plays an important role in the gastronomic identity of the island. It can be consumed as fresh fruit or as processed product, such as tomato paste, juice, sauce, dip, sun-dried tomatoes and spread. The tomato paste, rich in lycopene and antioxidants is very famous for the bright red colour, the velvety texture and the natural sweet taste. The establishments and the modern equipment of the tomato process factory of the Union of Santorini Cooperatives give the facility of processing all the above products and place them on the local and national market. The last years, steps are made to increase the production and the promotion of the product to other European and non-European markets and the market for ‘Tomataki’ was expanded, while people from all over the world can by on-line all the products of the Union of Santorini Cooperatives e-shop (https://santowines.gr/en/). Most of the farmers sell the tomato production to the Union as a labelled PDO product but some times during the summer they sell it directly at local taverns as fresh fruit.

In 2013 ‘Tomataki Santorinis’ was registered into the European List of Protected Designation of Origin products (EC No: EL-PDO-0005-0888-26.08.2011) following the COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:167:0022:0026:EN:PDF). The small yield per hectare on Santorini's dry soils (average yield around 5 tonnes and only in exceptional cases they reach 10 tonnes maximum per hectare compared with around 100 tonnes per hectare for outdoor tomatoes grown inland) means that ‘Tomataki Santorinis’ fetches a substantially higher price, which is a major incentive to fraud. The PDO label will protect the outstanding reputation of the product marketed.

The principal advantages of ‘Tomataki’ grown on Santorini are their higher sugar content and their higher level of total soluble solids. This specific quality characteristic is the result of the combined influence of the genetic material of the local variety, the traditional cultivation method used by the farmers, naturally, Santorini's and the surrounding islands’ soil and climate conditions and the adaptation of the plant to the environment of Santorini. The unique ecosystem that was created by the volcanic explosions on Santorini island, the volcanic ash, the barren, sandy soil, and the resilience of the plant to poor drainage lands, humidity created by the sea, drought, heavy winds and its adaptability to the volcanic soil of the island make ‘Tomataki’ a resource with an important agronomic and commercial value too. ‘Tomataki Santorinis’ is a striking example of a highly-priced local product of excellent quality whose production involves the sustainable use of unique natural resources.

The great majority of grapes from ‘Verdelho’ variety produced in the Madeira and Azores Islands are respectively used in wine making of typical wines of Madeira and wines of Azores, due to its importance in wine making into fortified wine, responsible for the fresh notes of tropical and citrus fruits, along with an excellent minerality, weak tangy flavour and semi-dry style.

Vine growers often sell the wine directly to consumer or through local distributors.

Recently, the ‘Verdelho’ variety was considered, to have a great potential to produce monovarietal quality white wines either for young consumption or with potential aging aptitude. This effort will be used to safeguard and promote the cultivation of this genetic resource in other regions from Portugal.