National Matcharashvili-a resident of the village of Zemo-Alvani, located on the slopes of the Caucasian mountains in the northern part of Georgia, carefully examines his fields, manually choosing the most mature wheat grains. Being a farmer in the first generation, she is proud of each crop. Nastya and her husband Shota moved from the capital of Georgia Tbilisi to her native village to live closer to nature, including for their children. As a matter of fact, Shota wanted to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather and become a farmer. He felt that his calling was to resume the cultivation of local wheat varieties that disappeared from the Georgian fields little by little. ~ 60 > “Our duty is to protect traditional wheat varieties that have adapted to our soils and climate,” says Nastya. “We wanted to share our traditions with others and live in harmony with nature,” she adds, telling about the reasons for moving to Zemo-Alvani. 62 ~~ 60 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62The cultivation of traditional wheat varieties, from which fresh bread and cookies are baked in a bakery belonging to Nastya and Shota, became for them to tell customers about their heritage. 60 > “It has begun to realize its idea with idea, and now wheat has become the main source of means to exist. We managed to grow several [local] varieties [wheat] and taste them, and now we do not want to dwell on the achieved in order to continue to discover the forgotten Georgian varieties for ourselves and resume their cultivation, ”explains National. living heritage under The threat is in Georgia an amazing variety of wheat varieties grows in Georgia. Of the fourteen species grown in this country, five belong to local varieties. However, this living heritage runs the risk of staying in the past if appropriate measures are not taken. Local varieties of wheat have practically disappeared from the Georgian fields: they were replaced by modern, bred by professional breeders. As a result of the policy of agricultural centralization, which lasted several decades pursued by the Soviet authorities, small private farms, which once worked as many generations of farmers, gave way to large state cooperatives. ~ 60 >~ 60 > That is why the agronomist of the Research Center for Agriculture (NISCH) Georgia Tamriko Ginjihadze decided to turn back the cause of the loss of genetic diversity. 60 > “Currently, a number of most important varieties of agricultural crops of our country are quietly disappeared,” explains explains. She. In order to save the disappearing types of Georgian agricultural crops, Tamriko turned to the Foundation for the distribution of benefits (FRV) – a mechanism for financing an international treaty on genetic resources of plants for the production of food and agriculture. Within the framework of the International Treaty under the auspices of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), FRV allocates funds in support of such projects aimed at developing and protecting the genetic resources of plants, as well as promoting the exchange of them. Having received financial assistance, the group of specialists led by Tamriko organized trips to collect seeds to remote areas of Georgia, during which scientists have identified local varieties, still grown by small farmers. It was during one of these trips that Tamriko met Natya and Shota. Although the spouses understood that they were growing a local wheat variety, they did not know either its name or its specific properties. The group of Tamriko collected the seeds found in the fields of Natia and the shots to identify them on the basis of the NICH. ~ 60 > local varieties are of great importance for Georgian farmers, since, for many generations, adapting to specific conditions, they generally demonstrate higher indicators in their places of origin. In particular, local Georgian wheat varieties are more resistant to fungal diseases and are more productive than other varieties. ~ 60 > Georgian wheat is a genetic storehouse in which the genes invaluable from the point of view of local adaptation are stored. “They serve as the initial breeding material for the removal of vital wheat varieties that can survive under the conditions of climate change and the spread of new pests and diseases,” Tamriko explains. > 62 ~ journey to the Arctic 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62The journey of these ancient seeds did not end in Georgian soil. Tamriko transported more than 200 samples of seeds of traditional Georgian wheat varieties, including local varieties of Lagodhis Gdzeltavtava and Dolis Puri, who were found in the fields of Nastya and Shota, from the remote mountain villages of Georgia beyond the Northern Polar Circle, where the world’s largest vault is located seeds. 60 > worldwide seed storage in Spitsbergen is located in the northern northern region of Norway, about 2 thousand kilometers north of the capital of Oslo; At the facility, the temperature of –18 on the Celsius scale is constantly maintained to ensure the viability of seeds in the long run. This storage contains dublet samples of seeds from around the world – thus, the protection of world food supplies is ensured in the future. “It is gratifying to know that our local varieties are contained there intact and safety,” says Shota. – This gives me confidence in the future. ” this security security has arrived in time, because the climate change and environmental problems are currently leading to the impoverishment of genetic diversity. Therefore, the preservation of varieties of agricultural crops, including due to their safe storage in gene banks and the worldwide storage of seeds on Svalben, acquired an unprecedented value. “These seeds begin their journey in the hands of farmers, the knowledge of which is no less important than the seeds in themselves, says the seeds in themselves, says the seeds of it,” says the seeds said Tamriko. – Our purpose as scientists is to help farmers not only preserve the seeds, but also provide the possibilities of using them as sources of livelihood. ” 60 > Nastya believes that these efforts help her maintain her heritage of the ancestors and at the same time build her future. “Growing these local wheat varieties, we provide not only their survival, but also the transfer of our knowledge,” she concludes. ~ ~ > 62 ~ when buyers eat fresh bread in the bakery and shots, they taste the ancient seeds that were found by scientists, duplicated and protected by specialists World Service Storage on Spitsbergen and preserved by Georgian farmers – so, the seed to the seed, the past continues to form the future.