CONSERVATION

BEST PRACTICES
AT THE SAME TIME, there are many challenges facing the conservation of
agricultural biodiversity and the market recovery of heritage foods, there are many
best practices embedded in the case studies presented here that could potentially help
other heritage foods to be recovered:
1. Most successful heritage food recovery efforts have required a collaborative
conservation mentality to recognize that it may “take a village” of heterogeneous
participants—farmers, breeders, marketers, chefs, etc of all political persuasions
and ethnic or racial backgrounds—to help recover a variety, species or food tradition.
Collaborative rather than command-and-control behaviors will likely work
best over the long haul.
2. Many heritage food recovery efforts simply start with confidence-building
between farmers and chefs who share common values; the building of crosssectoral
relationships and lasting friendships matter perhaps more than any other
social factor in assuring success.
3. Newly recruited chefs or consumers are ultimately attracted to a heritage
food by its flavor, color, texture or shape, and how the person resonates with its
story. People are not only willing to pay for the caloric value of these foods; they
are willing to pay for the cultural and ecological value of them. Tell the rich back
story of the food, its related foodways, and its producers.
4. Focus on means to make the food not only accessible but affordable. Heritage
food promoters should not shirk from finding innovative means to reintroduce
these foods to low income consumers who need to purchase them at just
prices. For instance, Wholesome Wave’s double-the-value program for SNAP program
recipients can be used to purchase seeds, seedlings or cuttings of food plants
at farmers markets. If low income families are most nutritionally at risk, it may be
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