Spot the Difference

What is the role of cultural heritage for poverty alleviation in coastal areas of Latin America? Along the coastline of Brazil, small-scale fisheries are a traditional and crucial source of food and livelihood for thousands of people. Brazilian coastal communities efficiently integrate modern small-scale fishing techniques with pre-colonial indigenous knowledge, as a ‘neotraditional’ mix. I will present the results of a multidisciplinary research project aimed at exploring the contribution of this cultural heritage to food security and community livelihood in one of the poorest areas.

The name of the mountain range of the Alps comes from the so-called “alpages” that we find in mid-high altitude areas, where cattle and sheep graze following the growth of grass across the summer season. However, this “famous” landscape has not always been like that. Indeed in the past, these areas were (at least sparsely) forested. The talk will look at when, why and how were these landscapes created, and, how have they evolved since the last glaciation? What was the role of climate change and human activities in shaping these landscapes?