Reproducing biocultural heritage landscapes through alternative and retro-innovative food production

Landscapes rich in biocultural heritage are declining en masse acrossEurope. This is due to the effects of countryside depopulation and tolarge-scale, industrial agriculture. Landscape heritage and its associatedbiodiversity largely depend on pre-industrial agrarian management.Because authoritative conservation cares only for minor, more spectacular,landscape segments, other forms of everyday management of themore mundane biocultural heritage are needed. Herein, innovative,alternative food producers (i.e. environmentally and animal-friendlyfarmers) are investigated as potential stewards of biocultural heritage.The results show that alternative food producers contribute to newways of reproducing the biocultural heritage, albeit with greateremphasis on its ‘green’ side (e.g. biodiversity) than that of cultural heritage.They also face numerous challenges that threaten their businesses.Biokum