Science, public institutions and society, a necessary alliance.

The day we went to see The Agricultural Research and Training Center.

The first thing we saw was the project on grazing, forest protection and job creation that they carry out. AGROGEN is an agricultural project but in this case we wanted to see how public investment in research can boost the local economy and protect the environment. All this at the same time and without conflict. Let’s not forget that in Cantabrai grazing (economy) and wolf conservation (environment) are an important social conflict. In this case, the institutions are serving as a tool for the search for solutions and as a mediator in the conflict.

We share the abstract of the project paper:

In the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, characterized by its humid climate, large rural areas are being abandoned, mostly in less-favoured areas covered by heathlands, which present a low nutritive quality for livestock production. The high combustibility of these shrublands is driving a high wildfire incidence with negative environmental and economic effects. In this review, some aspects on wildfire occurrence and the potential of grazing livestock to reduce woody phytomass and fire risk in heathland-dominated areas whilst maintaining quality production and preserving biodiversity are summarized. Heathlands may be partially improved—converted to grassland—to better meet animals’ nutritional requirements while acting as ‘natural’ firebreaks. The specific grazing behaviour offers the opportunity to combine different domestic herbivores (mixed grazing) to achieve sustainable systems utilizing heterogeneous resources. Cattle, sheep, goats, and horses may have a role in the provision of different ecosystem services such as food production and biodiversity conservation. Genotype x environment interactions shape the ability of animals to cope with poor vegetation conditions, with smaller species and breeds performing better than larger animals. Goats and horses are indicated to arrest woody encroachment. Sustainable grazing systems are affordable in heathland–grassland mosaics by selecting appropriate livestock species and breeds for quality production, thus favouring rural economies and lowering fire risk.

You can red the Open Acces paper here: “Livestock Management for the Delivery of Ecosystem Services in Fire-Prone Shrublands of Atlantic Iberia”.

Visit to CIFA facilities

The CIFA has been existing under different names since 1969, the year it was founded as the Regional Center of the Agricultural Extension Service, which provided assistance to the North zone. His functions at that time were focused on specialized technical advice to Agricultural Extension agencies. Later, and with the transfer of competences in agricultural research to the Autonomous Community, it also assumed this function.

At CIFA, finalist research projects, experimentation and technological innovation are developed, in order to obtain solutions to problems in the agricultural sector, using productive diversification as a valid tool to achieve these objectives. These projects are grouped into four large thematic areas: Horticulture, Quality of food of animal origin, Animal production systems and Socioeconomics.

The CIFA, in addition to the research work, is responsible for non-regulated agricultural training, which is projected in the realization of Incorporation Courses and Agricultural Training Courses, which are used in a great way to reach professionals in the sector, and to those who claim to be, knowledge from research in a dynamic and participatory way, in which the participation of technical and research staff is mandatory.

Both the research and experimentation programs are directed by CIFA and are carried out either on the Center’s own farm or in collaboration with private farms or other regional or national official departments. The network of official farms stands out here.

It is also fundamental, mainly in experimentation projects, the methodology based on the collaborating farms, since it allows contrasting the object of the study in the different ecosystems that occur in Cantabria, whose differences can imply diverse productive aptitudes and a differentiated treatment of the use of animal and plant species, varieties or ecotypes and production systems.

INSTALLATIONS

For the development of research/experimentation projects, as well as for training tasks, CIFA has very diverse and modern facilities:

• Greenhouses and arable farms for the study of crops, which allow the assessment of different controlled environment and environment conditions.
• Agricultural laboratory for the analysis of plant material, substrates and residues.
• Various facilities for the production and transformation of agricultural products.
• Tasting room for the organoleptic analysis of food.
• Library/Newspaper library.
• Training classrooms.

For more information visit https://www.cifacantabria.org/