University of Bergen and UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Heritage and Environmental Management

Place-based social-ecological research is essential for addressing local sustainability challenges, yet scaling insights remains difficult. The CULTIVATE project, funded by JPI Cultural Heritage, introduces a transdisciplinary learning framework that integrates cultural heritage, landscape, and social-ecological systems thinking to support sustainable rural development. Central to this approach are continuous dialogue, learning, and collaboration among communities, stakeholders, and researchers.
Tested across four European UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, the framework guided research on how biocultural heritage narratives influence rural sustainability. Biosphere reserves, as model areas for sustainable development, provide diverse rural landscapes where scientific management and community engagement intersect. Using a participatory co-creation approach, the project integrates cultural heritage paradigms with social-ecological systems theory to examine how heritage narratives are contested and negotiated at multiple scales.
Cultural heritage plays a key role in shaping sustainable rural landscapes, yet rapid socio-economic and environmental changes threaten traditional cultural landscapes, biodiversity, and community resilience. Land-use changes, climate shifts, and demographic trends have intensified these pressures, affecting human-environment interactions and community identity.
The project employs the ‘Seeds of a Good Anthropocene’ methodology, which leverages inspirational visions and storytelling to foster sustainability transitions. Findings highlight that cultural narratives not only reflect identity and values but also shape responses to socio-environmental challenges such as climate change and migration. Understanding cultural narratives as a form of heritage provides a foundation for social cohesion and sustainable development. While cultural values underpinning these narratives can lead to polarization, recognizing their interconnected and evolving nature allows for constructive engagement.
The CULTIVATE project explores how responses to contemporary changes reshape
narratives, influencing decision-making and environmental interactions. By bridging natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, this research fosters a holistic approach to sustainable rural development, positioning biocultural heritage narratives as a catalyst for resilience and transformation.