A Study of Changes in Cultivation Methods in Traditional Farming: The Case of “Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System” in Japan

The FAO believes that it is important to preserve traditional farming practices through dynamic conservation. To promote dynamic conservation, it is necessary to identify trends of changes in traditional agriculture. This study aims to clarify the relationship between changes in socioeconomic and traditional farming, using as a case study the “Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System,” which was recognized as a GIAHS site in 2018. Interviews with the three farmers revealed that farming changed with the farming environment and types of agricultural management. Farmers have maintained traditional farming practices because they are the most appropriate for their cultivation environment and farming management styles, not because they value or have attempted to preserve them.