Published in: Monitor.me

International tourism authorities have repeatedly confirmed that Montenegrin katuns are not merely seasonal mountain settlements, but a “living system of knowledge, skills, customs, and the relationship between man and nature, which has shaped our landscapes, identity, and rural communities.” Finally, in this year, which is marked globally as the Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, the katuns in the north have entered with national protection status. Prior to this, at one of the world’s most important tourism fairs, FITUR in Spain, the project “A Glimpse into Montenegro Wild Beauty: Katun Roads” won the prestigious award for the best active tourism product in the international category.

Montenegro is preparing to submit a nomination for the katuns to be included in the GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) list of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). If the process is successful, the katuns would find themselves on the list of globally significant agricultural heritage systems, creating the conditions for prospective UNESCO protection, as have Austria, Greece, Italy, and Albania.

GIAHS sites represent areas where local communities have, over centuries, developed specific agricultural methods in harmony with natural conditions. These systems typically possess rich agrobiodiversity, preserve traditional knowledge and farming techniques, are linked to cultural and social customs, and demonstrate sustainable land and water management practices. Unlike many other forms of heritage protection, GIAHS sites are so-called “living landscapes,” meaning that agricultural activities within them are still actively practiced.

According to FAO data, there are currently more than a hundred GIAHS systems spread across dozens of countries worldwide. Examples include the rice-fish agricultural system in China, traditional terraced agricultural systems in the Peruvian Andes, floating agriculture in Bangladesh, and terraced lemon cultivation on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

The significance of the GIAHS program is reflected in its contribution to preserving traditional agricultural practices, protecting biodiversity and landscapes, strengthening the rural economy and tourism, and transferring the knowledge of local communities to new generations. In this way, these systems represent an important example of the sustainable development of agriculture, culture, and nature.

The fact that the “izdig” (the seasonal movement to mountain pastures) has been declared a national intangible cultural asset of Montenegro is seen by the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi, and Prokletije (RDA) — which initiated the protection along with the Association of Rural Households — as the fruit of the collective work of herders, institutions, organizations, and people who deeply understand the value of living heritage.

At the initiative of the RDA and the Association for Rural Tourism, the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Properties developed a study this year confirming that the practice of the “izdig” to katuns meets all the criteria to be declared an asset of national importance. “This step represents the first comprehensive institutional confirmation that katuns are not just seasonal livestock settlements, but a complex system of natural, agricultural, and cultural heritage,” says the RDA.

They remind us that, unlike most European Union countries where this practice has almost died out, there are about 1,300 households in Montenegro that still practice the “izdig” to katuns. However, the number of katuns is drastically decreasing year by year. Of the more than 1,200 mapped on old charts, only about 400 are active today. This, the RDA explains, is a consequence of the shortage of young herders, resulting in the abandonment of katuns and changes in their purpose.

Depopulation is one of the most obvious problems threatening the survival of katuns, but it is not the only one. The construction of new roads, while improving the accessibility of mountain areas, simultaneously contributes to their degradation. Better access to katuns facilitates the arrival not only of herders but also of individuals who misuse the right to the “izdig” or purchase land in katun zones for other purposes. Paradoxical situations often arise where cottage owners are disturbed by the presence of livestock in an area traditionally intended for animal husbandry.

Traditional knowledge about livestock farming and mountain life is also gradually disappearing. It is increasingly rare for it to be passed on to younger generations, who more often opt for other professions and more secure forms of employment.

Although herders in the katuns produce some of the highest quality domestic products, and there are subsidies for the “izdig” as a form of support for this type of farming, numerous illogicalities arise in practice. For example, herders who want to sell cheese and qualify for milk processing subsidies must meet technical requirements, such as installing ceramic tiles in processing rooms, even in the katuns.

“Such requirements represent a serious problem. Transporting construction materials to the katuns is often extremely difficult due to inaccessible roads, and work must be carried out in places where there is often no electricity, making the entire undertaking very expensive. These interventions also change the very character of production: cheese obtained under such conditions no longer retains the authentic taste of a traditional product. Additionally, ceramic tiles and similar modern elements seem completely unnatural in the katun environment, which is based on simplicity and tradition,” the RDA states.

The victory of “Katun Roads” at the Spanish tourism fair was justified by the fact that this tourist route allows visitors to discover the wild beauty of the Montenegrin mountains, encounter local traditions, and enjoy a unique experience of staying in nature.

The jury evaluated the innovativeness of tourism products, their contribution to sustainable tourism development in economic, environmental, and social terms, as well as the quality of the visual identity and marketing presentation. In addition to the project from Montenegro, the international category also saw the awarding of the tourist route “Ruta del Mezcal de Guerrero: Fandango Mezcalero” from Mexico, while in the national category (Spain), awards were given to the projects “Camino de Hierro” and “Desafío Overtrails Adventure.”

The publication “Mountain Table” (Gorska trpeza), published by the RDA, won first place in the “Gastro Tourism” category five years ago, and second place in the “Best of the Best in the World” category. That book, which features recipes from Montenegrin katuns, was available for four months to visitors of an exhibition dedicated to world culinary heritage at the Alfred Nobel Museum in Sweden.

Although the remaining Montenegrin katuns are gaining international attention and are recognized in significant tourism markets, this visibility is not enough to ensure their survival. Without strategic state support, an increase in the number of herders, and the creation of optimal conditions for the return of younger generations, the survival of the katuns remains under threat.

Dragana Šćepanović