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ITaly / 5 min read

Biodiversity beyond crops: a mission to protect the fragile ecosystem of ancient olive groves
La biodiversità oltre alle colture: una missione per proteggere i delicati ecosistemi degli olivi millenari
Rebuilding layers of biodiversity to awaken one of the planet's oldest agricultural ecosystems.
Photography
Writing
By
Laura Scivetti
Apulia, Italy

Gaetano Ladisa is an agronomist and scout chief with the heart of an explorer. He works as a researcher at CIHEAM Bari, an International Organization based in Puglia, the land of ancient oliveti. These olive groves are of extraordinary heritage and priceless natural and cultural value. When we say ancient, we mean it. Some of the olive trees that shape Apulia’s unmistakable landscape are more than a thousand years old. They have grown here since the first human settlements were established in the south of Italy.

"I visited my first oliveto as a child. I remember that I was enraptured by a sense of wonder in admiring the beauty and majesty of those thousand-year-old trunks. Today, I still carry that feeling in my heart. I am so proud to have made my contribution to safeguarding their biodiversity."

- Gaetano Ladisa, agronomist.

The variety of animal species that nest in the trunks of these living monuments and the spontaneous vegetation that grows in the surrounding soil and muretti a secco (dry-stone walls) highlight these oliveti as a treasure trove.

[Click to launch slideshow]
[Click to launch slideshow]
These trees are a fundamental element of the local landscape.
These trees are a fundamental element of the local landscape.
The natural reserve of Torre Guaceto is a protected natural area located on the Adriatic coast of northern Salento, a few kilometers from the town of Carovigno and 17 km north of Brindisi.
The natural reserve of Torre Guaceto is a protected natural area located on the Adriatic coast of northern Salento, a few kilometers from the town of Carovigno and 17 km north of Brindisi.
The gnarled and twisted trunks of olive trees can be seen all over Puglia. Some of the trees are estimated to be up to 3000 years old.
The gnarled and twisted trunks of olive trees can be seen all over Puglia. Some of the trees are estimated to be up to 3000 years old.
Photography
Background

Ancient oliveti are constantly threatened by intensive agricultural practices: uprooted for ornamental purposes, high costs of production, insufficient compensation, and limited community knowledge of their environmental and cultural value. These landscapes are mainly valued for their agricultural potential; shrubs, bushes, wild animals, and grasses are looked upon as merely weeds and pests. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Oliveti are complex ecosystems that provide invaluable services far beyond olive production.

Gaetano knows that well. That is why he decided to dedicate his experience as an agronomist to the protection of these elderly giants. Together with Jenny Calabrese, Scientific Administrator at CIHEAM Bari, and a high-profile team of researchers and experts, they brought together an army of farmers and embarked on a complex, three-year journey. Along the way, they found new strategies to safeguard biodiversity and secure a future for these venerable trees and their ecosystems.

Their effort gave birth to a Life+ project called Cent.Oli.Med, first in Apulia (Gargano and Salento regions) and then across the Adriatic Sea to Greece. The project aimed to study and preserve ancient oliveti from the threats generated by irrational land management.

The sign with the introduction of the Cent.Oli.Med project at the entrance of an olive grove. Visitors to the olive grove can learn about the heritage and importance of these trees.
Unexpected Allies:
Stone Walls and Wild Plants

“In the initial phase of the project, preliminary investigations were carried out to understand whether the ancient oliveti were able to act as reservoirs of animal and plant biodiversity,” says Jenny Calabrese. “This was confirmed by the considerable presence of indicator species such as bats, birds of prey, reptiles, insects, and small mammals that find refuge in the trunks and the adjacent flora. But what we found surprising is that a key element that makes these ecosystems unique is constituted by a non-living actor: the traditional muretti a secco (dry-stone walls)”.

These structures, once ubiquitous in Apulia’s landscapes, create conditions to maintain the landscape’s biodiversity. The dry stone serves as a barrier against water erosion and landslides. In the centuries-old oliveti of Apulia, traditional farming techniques eliminate the grassy layer, making the land perfectly flat for the olive nets to spread. Without roots to hold it in place, the land is easily eroded by rainfall, which deposits near the dry stone walls. Here it forms an accumulation of fertile material on which vegetation can easily take root, making the dry stone wall an active sink for plant biodiversity.

The wall’s stones and cavities draw humidity in the soil. This moisture is stored below the wall, generating a water reserve that encourages vegetation’s spontaneous growth. This water reserve is also used by reptiles and small mammals that are prey for the local raptor birds such as hawks and buzzards. The dry stone also serves as a barrier against water erosion and landslides.

A biodiversity-rich dry stone wall. A variety of plants grows near the walls due to the moisture and nutrient-rich soil the walls encourage. The stone walls serve as barriers to erosion.
A variety of small animals live in and around dry stone walls lining these olive groves, providing nooks and crannies for them to hide and water for them to drink.

All these benefits are strengthened when the soil is covered by grass and perennial shrubs. Jenny Calabrese of CIHEAM Bari conducted surveys of the vegetation on abandoned, centuries-old oliveti to identify the most common herbaceous plants, considered “weeds” by some. She found that these wild plants played a role as important as the olive trees themselves. Trees and shrubs like carob, mastic, myrtle, Mediterranean buckthorn, bramble, and hawthorn not only play a crucial role in soil health but are also a great source of food for wildlife and humans.

“When we realized the importance of these plants, we started communicating it to the farmers,” Jenny said. “It wasn’t easy. We organized workshops and courses on value addition of these plants and fruits to show farmers that these “weeds” could be a profitable source of additional income”. Once the farmers understood their value, these plants were collected and cultivated by local growers.

Taking Collective Action
Since CIHEAM Bari has begun their restoration work, local farmers now understand the importance of endemic plants growing in the region, which they purposefully sow in their fields to promote biodiversity and provide an additional source of income.

Since the project’s early stages, researchers, farmers, and public institutions were brought together for the common good. Challenges have risen as different stakeholders have voiced their concerns and doubts. Farmers were frustrated by the new agricultural practices that required a greater commitment in land management. “You cannot just go to a farmer and tell him ‘Hey, what you have been doing until now is wrong. Do it like that.’ Especially if what you are telling them to drop what the market has rewarded him for”. Careful and frequent conversations and education sessions were held to identify key practices like planting new species and building new dry stone walls on land that had been previously used for intense agricultural practices.

“The first big challenge was to create an alliance of actors who would work together for the good of the landscape. And it’s not so easy to bring very diverse people, with very diverse goals, together.”

- Gaetano Ladisa, agronomist.

Reintroducing a mix of native plants has now become a regular practice among farmers looking to enhance soil health and increase biodiversity in Puglia’s olive groves. Oftentimes these greens are also edible by both humans and animals.
Scientists have been brought in to educate farmers and other local stakeholders on the benefits of endemic plants and how best to preserve and enhance the landscape.

Over the last four years, a series of biodiversity conservation interventions have been carried out by this unique alliance of farmers, scientists, and local institutions. More than five hundred ancient olive trees were surveyed for information on characteristics like trunk shape and diameter and the tree’s height. Studies were also carried out for the morpho-genetic and environmental characterization of biodiversity in ancient olive trees. “Due to the high phenotypic and genotypic variability of secular olive trees, germplasm from target areas in Apulia and Crete was collected to acquire their genetic characterization,” Gaetano explained in technical terms. “This plant material, after sanitary selection ensured their exemption from the main viruses, has been multiplied. Now more than nine thousand seedlings from the selected varieties of secular olive trees are hosted in the greenhouse and the collection field in the Torre Guaceto area”.

In the oliveti of Voukolies (Crete) and Torre Guaceto (Apulia), more than 1000 meters of dry stone walls have been built or restored using traditional techniques and materials. These provide shelter for small vertebrates and preserve the humidity necessary for the survival of the Mediterranean shrubs. “That has been quite a challenge. There aren’t many people who know how to make dry stone walls anymore. We had to look abroad to Albania to find the right craftsmanship.”, Gaetano explains. The art of making the muretti a secco has been lost with generations, leaving foreign labor to carry on the tradition.

Over 2,000 meters of hedgerows have been planted with over 3,000 types of local species—including mastic, myrtle, Mediterranean buckthorn, bramble, and hawthorn—to provide shelter for insects and animals, especially during the winter season.

Along the dry-stone walls, 2,000 meters of hedgerows have been planted with over 3,000 types of local species (mastic, myrtle, Mediterranean buckthorn, bramble, hawthorn). They provide shelter for insects and animals, especially during the winter season. By propagating typical Mediterranean steppe species, the biodiversity of the plant cover has improved. In some plots, small groups of carob trees, figs, and pomegranate trees have been planted. These fruits are good for the ecosystem and can be easily sold at local markets. Since 2008, the olive trees of Puglia and Europe have succumbed to an infection called Xylella Fastidiosa. The most effective solution that was previously found was the eradication of sick trees and as a result barren land was created. The travelers from Bari to Lecce can witness the heart-breaking devastation that this pandemic has left in the landscape.

Olive trees can be hundreds of years old. In Puglia’s Torre Guaceto plain, there are many old olive trees that stand as a bastion of different times. Preserving these heritage trees have become an important initiative of the region which has now spread to other Mediterranean areas that also grow these monuments of the past.

Despite challenges, these new practices have persisted. “Two years passed after the end of the Cent.Oli.Med. project,” Jenny told us. “I recently came back to the area of Torre Guaceto, where we carried out our first trials and was amazed to find that many of the farmers involved in our research continued to use the practices we taught them. Of course, some of them returned to their usual farming practices, pushed by habits and markets. But many decided not to. Now, when you walk those lands, you can see these beautiful, wild hedgerows full of carob and fig trees. We also see recurring sightings of badgers and hawks.”

Bearing Witnesses for Future Generations

Gaetano Ladisa is still moved when he talks about his work with these timeless giants:

“I looked with the same wonder of a child at the shapes and living sculptures we encountered in one of the main attractions of Puglia (this area has the highest concentration of tourist facilities in Italy). Mastodontic olive trees, so big that they were used by farmers as dressing rooms and tool sheds. It is a heritage that we constantly witness but don’t appreciate as we should, crossing the territory in an inattentive way.

What I carry within me and what I pass on to my children and the scouts is not to pass carelessly through these territories and landscapes. Grasping the beauty of people’s work, perceiving the almost friendly relationship between the farmer and the plant, the care that the farmer has for every single element, that makes us understand how important humankind’s work is to maintain this heritage that must be loved and respected.”

Principle
UPHOLD RESILIENT LAND USE PRACTICES

Uphold Resilient Land Use Practices

Large monocultures and land-use change put biodiversity under great stress and endanger much more than agricultural ecosystems. Biodiversity-friendly land management practices safeguard the environment, help keep farmlands secure, and protect wildlife, helping communities plant the seeds for future prosperity.

Term
COMPANIONPLANTING

Companion Planting

Companion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing the use of space, and to otherwise increase crop productivity.

Learn More
Cent.Oli.Med project website

The Farmer Trying to Save Italy’s Ancient Olive Trees, by Agostino Petroni, Atlas Obscura

Ulivi Secolari di Puglia project

The Ciheam Bari (IAMB) website

The art of Dry Stone Walling, UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Credits
Article by Laura Scivetti, CIHEAM Bari

Photos and story by Gaetano Ladisa and Generosa Calabrese, CIHEAM Bari

Special thanks to Alberto Miti, Reawakened Foods Initiative co-director, The Lexicon of Sustainability
1592926638146

Laura Scivetti

Writer

Laura is Communication and Social Media Manager at CIHEAM Bari - International Center for post-graduate higher education, applied research and development cooperation - with more than 15 years of experience in multimedia communication and integrated communication strategies within international projects and with several institutions and partners. Instructional Designer of e-learning courses organized and delivered by CIHEAM Bari. Proud mother of 2 children: Francesca 7y and Giuseppe 2y.
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The Lexicon™ is a California-based nonprofit founded in 2009 with a focus on positive solutions for a more sustainable planet.

For the past five years, it has developed an “activator for good ideas” with support from Food at Google. This model gathers domain experts from over 1,000 companies and organizations working at the intersection of food, agriculture, conservation, and climate change.

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Agrobiodiversity

Over half the world’s agricultural production comes from only three crops. Can we bring greater diversity to our plates?

Meat OS

In the US, four companies control nearly 85% of the beef we consume. Can we develop more regionally-based markets?

Single-Use Plastics

How can we develop alternatives to single-use plastics that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly?

Regenerative Agriculture

Could changing the way we grow our food provide benefits for people and the planet, and even respond to climate change?

Alternative Proteins

Can we meet the growing global demand for protein while reducing our reliance on traditional animal agriculture?

Food Packaging

It’s not only important what we eat but what our food comes in. Can we develop tools that identify toxic materials used in food packaging?

Featured

Explore The Lexicon’s collection of immersive storytelling experiences featuring insights from our community of international experts.

The Great Protein Shift
Our experts use an engaging interactive approach to break down the technologies used to create these novel proteins.

Regenerative Agriculture Principle 1

Ten Principles for Regenerative Agriculture
What is regenerative agriculture? We’ve developed a framework to explain the principles, practices, ecological benefits and language of regenerative agriculture, then connected them to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Food is Medicine

Food-related chronic diseases are the biggest burden on healthcare systems. What would happen if we treated food as medicine?

Fisheries

How can we responsibly manage our ocean fisheries so there’s enough seafood for everyone now and for generations to come?

Ecological Benefits

Mobilizing agronomists, farmers, NGOs, chefs, and food companies in defense of biodiversity in nature, agriculture, and on our plates.

Food Choices

Can governments develop guidelines that shift consumer diets, promote balanced nutrition and reduce the risk of chronic disease?

Aquaculture

Will sustainably raising shellfish, finfish, shrimp and algae meet the growing demand for seafood while reducing pressure on wild fisheries?

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How can a universal visual language to describe our food systems bridge cultural barriers and increase consumer literacy?

Welcome to the “FOOD CHOICES FOR A HEALTHY PLANET” game!

This game was designed to raise awareness about the impacts our food choices have on our own health, but also the environment, climate change and the cultures in which we live.

First, you can choose one of the four global regions and pick a character that you want to play.

Each region has distinct cultural, economic, historical, and agricultural capacities to feed itself, and each character faces different challenges, such as varied access to food, higher or lower family income, and food literacy. 

As you take your character through their day, select the choices you think they might make given their situation. 

At the end of the day you will get a report on the impact of your food choices on five areas: health, healthcare, climate, environment and culture. Take some time to read through them. Now go back and try again. Can you make improvements in all five areas? Did one area score higher, but another score lower? 

FOOD CHOICES FOR A HEALTHY PLANET will help you better understand how all these regions and characters’ particularities can influence our food choices, and how our food choices can impact our personal health, national healthcare, environment, climate, and culture. Let’s Play!

The FOOD CHOICES FOR A HEALTHY PLANET game allows users to experience the dramatic connections between food and climate in a unique and engaging way. The venue and the game set-up provides attendees with a fun experience, with a potential to add a new layer of storytelling about this topic.

Starting the game: the pilot version of the game features four country/regions: Each reflects a different way people (and the national dietary guidelines) look at diets: Nordic Countries (sustainability), Brazil (local and whole foods instead of ultra-processed foods); Canada (plant-forward), and Indonesia (developing countries).

Personalizing the game: players begin by choosing a country and then a character who they help in making food choices over the course of one day. Later versions may allow for creating custom avatars.

Making tough food choices: This interactive game for all ages shows how the food choices we make impact our health and the environment, and even contribute to climate change.

FoodChoices-Sylvia-Groceries-Screen
FoodChoices-Sylvia-YesNo-Screen
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FoodChoices-Sylvia-CharacterDescription-Screen

What we eat matters: at the end of each game, players learn that every decision they make impacts not only their health, but a national healthcare system, the environment, climate and even culture.

Apulia’s Ancient Olive Groves

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Providing best water quality conditions to ensure optimal living condition for growth, breeding and other physiological needs

Water quality is sourced from natural seawater with dependency on the tidal system. Water is treated to adjust pH and alkalinity before stocking.

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Smallholder Farmer

Producers that own and manages the farm operating under small-scale farming model with limited input, investment which leads to low to medium production yield

All 1,149 of our farmers in both regencies are smallholder farmers who operate with low stocking density, traditional ponds, and no use of any other intensification technology.

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Safe working conditions — cleanliness, lighting, equipment, paid overtime, hazard safety, etc. — happen when businesses conduct workplace safety audits and invest in the wellbeing of their employees

Company ensure implementation of safe working conditions by applying representative of workers to health and safety and conduct regular health and safety training. The practices are proven by ASIC standards’ implementation

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Implementation of farming operations, management and trading that impact positively to community wellbeing and sustainable better way of living

The company works with local stakeholders and local governments to create support for farmers and the farming community in increasing resilience. Our farming community is empowered by local stakeholders continuously to maintain a long generation of farmers.

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Frozen at Peak Freshness

Freezing seafood rapidly when it is at peak freshness to ensure a higher quality and longer lasting product

Our harvests are immediately frozen with ice flakes in layers in cool boxes. Boxes are equipped with paper records and coding for traceability. We ensure that our harvests are processed with the utmost care at <-18 degrees Celsius.

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Deforestation Free

Sourcing plant based ingredients, like soy, from producers that do not destroy forests to increase their growing area and produce fish feed ingredients

With adjacent locations to mangroves and coastal areas, our farmers and company are committed to no deforestation at any scale. Mangrove rehabilitation and replantation are conducted every year in collaboration with local authorities. Our farms are not established in protected habitats and have not resulted from deforestation activity since the beginning of our establishment.

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Natural Feed

Implement only natural feeds grown in water for aquatic animal’s feed without use of commercial feed

Our black tiger shrimps are not fed using commercial feed. The system is zero input and depends fully on natural feed grown in the pond. Our farmers use organic fertilizer and probiotics to enhance the water quality.

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Increased Biodiversity

Enhance biodiversity through integration of nature conservation and food production without negative impact to surrounding ecosysytem

As our practices are natural, organic, and zero input, farms coexist with surrounding biodiversity which increases the volume of polyculture and mangrove coverage area. Farmers’ groups, along with the company, conduct regular benthic assessments, river cleaning, and mangrove planting.

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THE TERM “MOONSHOT” IS OFTEN USED TO DESCRIBE an initiative that goes beyond the confines of the present by transforming our greatest aspirations into reality, but the story of a moonshot isn’t that of a single rocket. In fact, the Apollo program that put Neil Armstrong on the moon was actually preceded by the Gemini program, which in a two-year span rapidly put ten rockets into space. This “accelerated” process — with a new mission nearly every 2-3 months — allowed NASA to rapidly iterate, validate their findings and learn from their mistakes. Telemetry. Propulsion. Re-entry. Each mission helped NASA build and test a new piece of the puzzle.

The program also had its fair share of creative challenges, especially at the outset, as the urgency of the task at hand required that the roadmap for getting to the moon be written in parallel with the rapid pace of Gemini missions. Through it all, the NASA teams never lost sight of their ultimate goal, and the teams finally aligned on their shared responsibilities. Within three years of Gemini’s conclusion, a man did walk on the moon.

FACT is a food systems solutions activator that assesses the current food landscape, engages with key influencers, identifies trends, surveys innovative work and creates greater visibility for ideas and practices with the potential to shift key food and agricultural paradigms.

Each activator focuses on a single moonshot; instead of producing white papers, policy briefs or peer-reviewed articles, these teams design and implement blueprints for action. At the end of each activator, their work is released to the public and open-sourced.

As with any rapid iteration process, many of our activators re-assess their initial plans and pivot to address new challenges along the way. Still, one thing has remained constant: their conviction that by working together and pooling their knowledge and resources, they can create a multiplier effect to more rapidly activate change.

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Michiel Bakker

Vice President
Global Workplace Programs
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Eligibility, Submission Terms and Conditions

Sponsor

A Greener Blue Global Storytelling Initiative is sponsored by The Lexicon, a US based 501(c)(3) public charity.

Opportunity

Storytellers will join A Greener Blue Storytelling Collective to create stories for the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture with the FAO and its partner organizations. Members of the Collective will take part in a private online “Total Storytelling Lab” led by The Lexicon’s Douglas Gayeton. Upon completion of this online certificate program, members of the Collective will join seafood experts from around the globe in creating A Greener Blue Storytelling initiative.

Terms

Who can enter and how selections are made.

A Greener Blue is a global call to action that is open to individuals and teams from all over the world. Below is a non-exhaustive list of subjects the initiative targets.

  • Creatives and storytellers with a passion for food and the willingness to support small-scale fisherpeople and experts worldwide. This category includes, but is not exhausted in photographers, videomakers, illustrators, podcasters, and writers.
  • Food Activists working to change open sea fishing and aquaculture; 
  • Members of fishing and indigenous communities that support their communities, share their stories and protect their way of life;
  • Local and International NGOs work every day with actors across the whole value chain to create more sustainable seafood models.

To apply, prospective participants will need to fill out the form on the website, by filling out each part of it. Applications left incomplete or containing information that is not complete enough will receive a low score and have less chance of being admitted to the storytelling lab.

Nonprofit organizations, communities of fishers and fish farmers and companies that are seeking a closer partnership or special support can also apply by contacting hello@thelexicon.org and interacting with the members of our team.

Special attention will be given to the section of the form regarding the stories that the applicants want to tell and the reasons for participating. All proposals for stories regarding small-scale or artisanal fishers or aquaculturists, communities of artisanal fishers or aquaculturists, and workers in different steps of the seafood value chain will be considered.

Stories should show the important role that these figures play in building a more sustainable seafood system. To help with this narrative, the initiative has identified 10 principles that define a more sustainable seafood system. These can be viewed on the initiative’s website and they state:
Seafood is sustainable when:

  • it helps address climate change
  • it supports global ecosystems
  • it optimizes impact on resources and nutrient cycles.
  • it promotes a safe growing environment for safe food sources.
  • it advances animal welfare.
  • it enhances flavor and nutrition.
  • it builds resilience and self-sufficiency in local communities.
  • it prioritizes inclusion, equality, and fair treatment of workers.
  • it preserves legality and the quality and the story of the product throughout the value chain.
  • it creates opportunities along the whole value chain.

Proposed stories should show one or more of these principles in practice.

Applications are open from the 28th of June to the 15th of August 2022. There will be 50 selected applicants who will be granted access to The Lexicon’s Total Storytelling Lab. These 50 applicants will be asked to accept and sign a learning agreement and acceptance of participation document with which they agree to respect The Lexicon’s code of conduct.

The first part of the lab will take place online between August the 22nd and August the 26th and focus on training participants on the foundation of storytelling, supporting them to create a production plan, and aligning all of them around a shared vision.

Based on their motivation, quality of the story, geography, and participation in the online Lab, a selected group of participants will be gifted a GoPro camera offered to the program by GoPro For A Change. Participants who are selected to receive the GoPro camera will need to sign an acceptance and usage agreement.

The second part of the Storytelling Lab will consist of a production period in which each participant will be supported in the production of their own story. This period goes from August 26th to October 13th. Each participant will have the opportunity to access special mentorship from an international network of storytellers and seafood experts who will help them build their story. The Lexicon also provides editors, animators, and graphic designers to support participants with more technical skills.

The final deadline to submit the stories is the 14th of October. Participants will be able to both submit complete edited stories, or footage accompanied by a storyboard to be assembled by The Lexicon’s team.

All applicants who will exhibit conduct and behavior that is contrary to The Lexicon’s code of conduct will be automatically disqualified. This includes applicants proposing stories that openly discriminate against a social or ethnic group, advocate for a political group, incite violence against any group, or incite to commit crimes of any kind.

All submissions must be the entrant’s original work. Submissions must not infringe upon the trademark, copyright, moral rights, intellectual rights, or rights of privacy of any entity or person.

Participants will retain the copyrights to their work while also granting access to The Lexicon and the other partners of the initiative to share their contributions as part of A Greener Blue Global Storytelling Initiative.

If a potential selected applicant cannot be reached by the team of the Initiative within three (3) working days, using the contact information provided at the time of entry, or if the communication is returned as undeliverable, that potential participant shall forfeit.

Offering

Selected applicants will be granted access to an advanced Storytelling Lab taught and facilitated by Douglas Gayeton, award-winning storyteller and information architect, co-founder of The Lexicon. In this course, participants will learn new techniques that will improve their storytelling skills and be able to better communicate their work with a global audience. This skill includes (but is not limited to) how to build a production plan for a documentary, how to find and interact with subjects, and how to shoot a short documentary.

Twenty of the participants will receive a GoPro Hero 11 Digital Video and Audio Cameras by September 15, 2022. Additional participants may receive GoPro Digital Video and Audio Cameras to be announced at a later date. The recipients will be selected by advisors to the program and will be based on selection criteria (see below) on proposals by Storytelling Lab participants. The selections will keep in accordance with Lab criteria concerning geography, active participation in the Storytelling Lab and commitment to the creation of a story for the Initiative, a GoPro Camera to use to complete the storytelling lab and document their story. These recipients will be asked to sign an acceptance letter with terms of use and condition to receive the camera. 

The Lexicon provides video editors, graphic designers, and animators to support the participants to complete their stories.

The submitted stories will be showcased during international and local events, starting from the closing event of the International Year of Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 in Rome, in January 2023. The authors of the stories will be credited and may be invited to join.

All selection criteria

Storytelling lab participation:

Applicants that will be granted access to the storytelling Lab will be evaluated based on the entries they provided in the online form, and in particular:

  • The completeness of their form
  • The relevance of their story (coherence with the main goal of the initiative and 10 principles)
  • Written motivation explained
  • Geography (the initiative aims at showcasing stories from all over the world so the mix of locations will be a factor that the selection committee will take into account)
 

Applications will be evaluated by a team of 4 judges from The Lexicon, GSSI and the team of IYAFA (Selection committee).

When selecting applications, the call promoters may request additional documentation or interviews both for the purpose of verifying compliance with eligibility requirements and to facilitate proposal evaluation.

Camera recipients:

Participants to the Storytelling Lab who will be given a GoPro camera will be selected based on:

  • Quality of the story (coherence with the initiative and the 10 principles)
  • Motivation demonstrated during the interaction in the online class
  • Participation in the online class (participants that will attend less than 4 classes will be automatically excluded)
 

The evaluation will be carried out by a team of 4 judges from The Lexicon, GSSI and the team of IYAFA (Selection committee).

Incidental expenses and all other costs and expenses which are not specifically listed in these Official Rules but which may be associated with the acceptance, receipt and use of the Storytelling Lab and the camera are solely the responsibility of the respective participants and are not covered by The Lexicon or any of the A Greener Blue partners.

All participants who receive a Camera are required to sign an agreement allowing GoPro for a Cause, The Lexicon and GSSI to utilize the films for A Greener Blue and their promotional purposes. All participants will be required to an agreement to upload their footage into the shared drive of The Lexicon and make the stories, films and images available for The Lexicon and the promoting partners of A Greener Blue.

Additional Limitations

Selection and distribution of the camera is non-transferable. No substitution or cash equivalent of the cameras is granted. The Lexicon and its respective partners and representatives are not responsible for any typographical or other errors in the offer or administration of the Initiative, including, but not limited to, errors in any printing or posting or the Official Rules, the selection and announcement of any selected participant, or the distribution of any equipment. Any attempt to damage the content or operation of this Initiative is unlawful and subject to possible legal action by The Lexicon. The Lexicon reserves the right to terminate, suspend or amend the Initiative, without notice, and for any reason, including, without limitation, if The Lexicon determines that the Lab cannot be conducted as planned or should a virus, bug, tampering or unauthorized intervention, technical failure or other cause beyond The Lexicon’s control corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Contest. In the event any tampering or unauthorized intervention may have occurred, The Lexicon reserves the right to void suspect entries at issue.

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