The mountaineer farmer

THOUGHTS

“I am firmly convinced that the combination of local agriculture and tourism can be a model that is economically viable and supportive of the local culture and thus safeguards the environment. But my model only works if the mountain farmers reclaim responsibility for their activities and – depending on the market situation – handle the processing themselves and market their produce in closed cycles. Precisely what once constituted their self-image could be their salvation in a globalised world in which everything has to be interchangeable and fast.”

Reinhold Messner