Heritage Values and Agricultural Landscapes: Towards a New Synthesis

Abstract

The conservation of agricultural heritage is an emerging field that offers opportunities for integrating heritage values into strategies for environmental, economic and social sustainability in rural areas in the US. Even though farmsteads and ranches are iconic representations of rural communities, little attention has been given to the cultural heritage values of agricultural landscapes or in agricultural policy. Climate change, global market drivers and significant demographic shifts threaten agrarian resources. Today, there is an urgent need to address the loss of agricultural land and enhance the sustainability of agricultural systems. This article argues that it is timely to consider heritage as an integral part of developing strategies to adapt agricultural systems and make them more resilient. Some promising recent efforts demonstrate that heritage designations, partnerships and stewardship programmes offer strategic advantages and should be an integral part of a broader set of agricultural reforms, creating a new synthesis.