Conservation of Landrace: The Key Role of the Value for Agrobiodiversity Conservation. An Application on Ancient Tomatoes Varieties

Agricultural biological diversity (agrobiodiversity), is a small component of biodiversity, and presents two levels: genetic resources for food and agriculture and ecological services. All the components contribute to sustain the key functions of agro-ecosystems. It is commonly acknowledged that biodiversity is jeopardized by erosion, whereas there is less awareness about agrobiodiversity loss, although this has very negative short and long-term consequences for producers and consumers. In particular, important for conserving agrobiodiversity is the protection of landraces (LRs). The disappearance of LRs, also called by the farmers local or primitive varieties, means both genetic and cultural erosion. For this reason, in-situ LRs conservation is essential, as well as the ex situ one. The main objective of the present work is the evaluation of agrobiodiversity and of its role for the local community, by means of the Contingent Valuation. The attention is focused on the tomatoes landrace “Pomodoro di Mercatello”, a variety once widely cultivated in some areas within the province of Perugia and now kept alive by a farmer who still grows and sells it.