Extensive livestock farming is a key tool for sustainable land management and can play a fundamental role both in wildfire prevention and in biodiversity conservation. With this vision, a nationwide project has been launched aimed at developing and validating extensive livestock farming models in strategic areas, demonstrating their capacity to generate environmental, social, and economic benefits.
The project seeks to promote livestock systems that help reduce wildfire risk through vegetation control and the maintenance of mosaic landscapes, while also supporting the conservation of habitats and species of interest. At the same time, it works to improve the economic viability of livestock farms by promoting more efficient, sustainable models adapted to the specific characteristics of each territory.
Activities are being carried out in three representative pilot areas: O Courel (Galicia), Montsec and Garraf (Catalonia). These areas allow for the evaluation of different management models in diverse ecological and socio-economic contexts, generating practical knowledge and transferable experiences for other regions.
Through collaboration between organisations, technical staff, and livestock farmers, the project aims to highlight the strategic role of extensive livestock farming as an ally in land management, climate change adaptation, and the conservation of natural heritage. The results obtained will be used to design and promote solutions that can be applied in other areas facing similar challenges, strengthening the future of livestock farming and the ecosystems it helps maintain.
This project is developed within the framework of the national call for supra-regional Operational Groups under the Strategic Plan of the CAP (PEPAC) 2023–2027, an initiative aimed at fostering innovation and knowledge transfer in the agri-food and forestry sectors.
