Farmers’ Markets as Intangible Heritage. An Identity Resource and/or Renewable Economic Resource

Abstract

This article analyses the proposal to include trading at farmers’ markets as an element of intangible cultural heritage in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia. The first part outlines the broader context of how the idea of nomination came about, along with a re-examination of how the public perceives the term heritage in Croatia, and the elements by which farmers’ markets – the perception of which has an unavoidable material aspect (space, goods, money) – are recognized as intangible heritage. This is followed by a critical look at the central points of inclusivity in the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: the variety of ways in which heritage can exist and the forms through which it can manifest itself, as well as the central role this document assigns to communities as the creators and guardians of heritage. Based on this, the last part consists of an analysis of the application for including trading at farmers’ markets in the national list. This analysis is focused on the issue of the community and its representation, i.e. the issue of the repercussions that obtaining heritage status can have on communities and culture, primarily in light of the proposed “safeguarding measures”.