The FTA Dean Van Damme in an interview for Radio Prague:
“It does, in a way. If you talk about socio-economics or rural development, maybe there is a difference in scale, in the sociological background, but the mechanisms and problems are basically the same."
“What we have seen is that over time now, a number of crops that we equate with southern areas are also being at least tested in the Czech Republic.
“An obvious example which has, of course, been here for some time is grapes to make wine. In Medieval Time it was warmer here, and there were grapes. But then there was a small Ice Age, temperatures in summer were lower and cooler, and so grapes were out again.
“You also shouldn’t forget that maze, for instance, was not grown in the more temperate zone of Europe before 1980, but then, gradually, because there was a need for the maze to feed the cattle.
“By having specific varieties, they were able to get good yields. We will see the same phenomenon with chickpeas, grapes, and some other crops from the Mediterranean and tropical areas.”
Read or listen to the full interview HERE.
