Shepherds of the XXIst century: increasing professionalism in the management of extensive livestock, wildfires and landscape in the era of global change Erasmus Project

Project Title

Shepherds of the XXIst century: increasing professionalism in the management of extensive livestock, wildfires and landscape in the era of global change

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Silvopastoralism is a common practice in Mediterranean socio-ecological systems, characterized by the presence of extensive livestock in forest areas. Consumption of vegetation from woodland ecosystems supplies goods and services to the society, such as high-quality food products or the management of forest biomass and the associated risk of wildfires. In the Mediterranean basin revalorization of silvopastoralism is particularly strategic, given the region is shaped by unmanaged forests under an increasing vulnerability to wildfires due to climate change. Because of this, a growing number of public administrations are implementing grazing livestock experiences for the control of forest understory fuel. At the same time, the number of farmers practicing extensive livestock is decreasing all over Europe. For this reason, in recent years professional education centers under the denomination of Shepherd Schools have been created, with the aim of training youngsters, originally or not from the agrarian sector, in the development of extensive farming projects, economically viable and adapted to 21st-century market needs. Nevertheless, low development of training in silvopastoralism for wildfire risk management has been detected, theoretically and practically.
This project is born with the mission of generating a cooperation network between Shepherd Schools, shepherds, and administrations, for the exchange of good practices in silvopastoralism development. More specifically, the project targets designing and implementing a study module about silvopastoralism for the Shepherd Schools, and share successful experiences from the participating regions.
A consortium with 15 members has been built, from France, Portugal, Spain, and Germany, including 5 academic members (shepherds and farmers schools) and 10 non-academic or lifelong partners.
The methodology to apply is based on integrating the knowledge, expertise, and experience of all the partners with the objective of shaping a study module applicable in agriculture training centers. The methodology pursues the challenge of collecting and adding theoretical contents and practical cases, drawn from the international exchanges and the diversity of partners during short training programs, integrating different views and approaches to silvopastoralism and the management of landscapes and wildfires.
The main expected result of the project is increasing the available training offer in silvopastoralism, promoting, therefore, the growth of its practice in forest fire risk contexts. At the same time, it is expected to increase professional farmers’ skills and capacities in silvopastoralism based land management, and to analyze and document innovative public-private mechanisms fostering an interest on silvopastoralism, as a multifunctional tool with great benefits for society.

Project Website

http://fireshepherds.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 348210,12 Eur

Project Coordinator

FUNDACIO D’ECOLOGIA DEL FOC I GESTIO D’INCENDIS PAU COSTA ALCUBIERRE & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Consorci Alba-Ter
• Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege e.V. (DVL)
• Neo-Agri
• UNIVERSITAT DE GIRONA
• TAGUS- Asociacion para el desarrollo de Tajo Salor Almonte
• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE COIMBRA
• MUNICIPIO DO FUNDAO