«Troodos Cyprus Declaration» approved on Friday

The three-day European conference ‘Mountain Areas of Large Mediterranean Islands: European Issues, National and Regional Policies and Local Mechanisms’ concluded on Friday at Omodos village with the presentation and approval of "Troodos Cyprus Declaration".

The conference was organized by the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus and the Office of the Mountain Development Commissioner.

This high-level conference brought together a range of local, regional, national and European Union administrators, along with academics, researchers and representatives of international institutions who gave their perspectives on approaches to policy in the mountainous areas of the Mediterranean and Europe.

The conclusion of the Conference witnessed the signing and announcement of the Troodos Cyprus Declaration, a document to guide further debate and policy relating to Mediterranean mountain islands.

The third and final day of the European conference concluded at the Oenou Yi Winery of Ktima Vassiliades in Omodos village, in Cyprus’s Troodos Mountains.

With perspectives from across Europe, the day`s discussion focused on the role of governance in sustainable development and the protection of traditional farming practices in mountain areas.

According to a press release issued by the organizers, highlighting the case of goat milk production in Sardinia, Andrea Cabbidu, of the Sardinia Research Organization, called for traditional agricultural practices to be supported by governments. "We need strong distinctions between industrial and local products," he said. "Territorial designation will increase the incomes of farmers and governments need to invest to establish these systems. Traditional practice must be highlighted and safeguarded".

George Vlahos, of the Agricultural University of Athens, said Cyprus has the opportunity to incorporate traditional farming practice into existing systems for nature conservation.

Referring to Troodos UNESCO Global Geopark and to the National Forest Park of Troodos, he said: "We have to integrate the population and their farming activities into the conservation network. Rural development needs to bridge the gap with High Natural Value areas. We can integrate local societies to protective actors on biodiversity. This will also protect rural activities".

Earlier in the session Marjorie Jouen of the Jacques Delors Institute, in France, presented her experience in the establishment of `Smart Villages`. She spoke of the importance of developing digital technology infrastructure in villages and educating people with low digital literacy.

Using examples of villages in France that promoted themselves using social media, she said: "We have to help people use digital technology in order to break new ground when developing. We can improve resilience and create new opportunities working on the potential of a village and its people".