Nishi-Awa has more than 40 varieties of millets such as finger millet.
Not only that, a large number of indigenous varieties such as buckwheat, corn, fruit trees, homemade tea leaves, and traditional vegetables also support people’s daily diet.

Furthermore, the farmers have been collecting and preserving seeds of the original species of millets and vegetables. Once these seeds become extinct, it is difficult to bring them back. To pass down our precious genetic resources, Iya Millet Production Association has been established and work on conservation.

It has been confirmed that Kaya-ba, a place to collect Kaya (grass hay), hosts 282 kinds of plants, including rare kinds such as Adonis shikokuensis. It also provides an important habitat for 28 species of birds including rare ones like Eurasian sparrowhawk, 241 species of insects including endangered species, as well as 9 species of mammals.

Cutting and collecting Kaya on a regular basis makes short plants exposed to sunlight, which creates the environment for a wide variety of plants to grow. It also makes easier for birds to find prey; as a result, the precious ecosystem has been preserved. The biodiversity has been preserved by the farmers controlling the natural environment.