The workshop was co-organised by the team of the LIFE ShepForBio project, which aims to improve the conservation status of a number of sites in the Italian mountains through sustainable pastoral management, and the Naturaleza Pastoreada project, which promotes extensive livestock farming in rural Spain as a tool for the economic, social and environmental development.
This year’s theme explored the ecosystem services provided by extensive livestock farming and pastoralism. The workshop provided an overview of the challenges across different contexts, particularly in Galicia, and the solutions devised to address them.
The LIFE SOS Crau Plain Grasshopper team gained insight into diverse social, economic and environmental contexts, and engaged with local actors sharing about their experience.
A standout discovery was the existence of ‘ ganaderas en red ’, a dynamic network of Spanish women pastoral breeders, based on solidarity and mutual aid between peers. This network enables each of its members to find support and advice, and advocates for the visibility and recognition of women in pastoral professions, and it aims to improve their status within this traditionally male-dominated field.
Author: Perrine Turiez, Chambre d’agriculture des Bouches-du-Rhône