Promoting sustainable development in tropical islands: strengthening capacities for enhancing cultural heritage, traditional know-how, and local food production

The CULTIVAR project is tailored for sustainable development in tropical regions, specifically targeting Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. It aims to leverage cultural heritage and traditional knowledge, fostering sustainable tourism and local food promotion. Despite abundant natural and cultural riches in both countries, their intangible cultural heritage and gastronomy remain undervalued and underutilized sustainably. As SIDS (Small Island Developing States), these nations face significant development challenges, exacerbated by climate change impacts. The project pioneers an interdisciplinary higher education system, training professionals to tackle challenges and meet Sustainable Development Goals. Proposed activities include fortifying Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in critical areas like History/Cultural Heritage, Tourism, Agronomy, and Social Sciences. It entails conducting training seminars for teachers, updating curricula, and creating modules based on Education for Sustainability principles. CULTIVAR aims to raise awareness in civil societies and among decision-makers, fostering positive synergies between academia and society. To achieve this, the project will conduct training workshops and focus groups for teachers, researchers, postgraduate students, and external professionals, emphasizing the development and implementation of cultural projects. The overarching goal is to establish an innovative teaching environment addressing cultural heritage. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, CULTIVAR seeks to cultivate cooperation between HEIs, scientific communities, and stakeholders, ultimately contributing to a new generation of specialists capable of addressing Partner Countries' unique needs.