PLENUM takes a place based, integrated bottom-up, and ‘use’-driven approach where in selected project-regions the protection of biological and development of cultural diversity is being advocated and supported by the local population and implemented by economic sectors (Landesanstalt fu¨r Umwelt Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Wu¨rttemberg 2011). The production and marketing of regional specific, in some cases almost forgotten, food have positive effects in and beyond the project regions (Gehrlein et al. 2013). Also, the initiation of projects by local people, in particular the collaboration of diverse sectors to support regional value chains, is regarded as a key success factor (Su¨ß et al. 2011). In summary, PLENUM may be able to address some of the implementation challenges the conventional instruments are facing (von Haaren 2002).