What was the challenge/problem addressed?

In recent decades, the reduction in grazing and the abandonment of traditional uses have led to an homogenisation of the landscape, a decrease in the biodiversity of habitats, as well as an increase in the risk of forest fires.

This situation is particularly relevant in a context of climate change, which has become evident in Navarre in 2022 following the fires suffered. It is therefore of great interest to assess livestock farming tools and practices that promote the provision of eco-systemic services, including the maintenance of the landscape, the conservation of biodiversity and indigenous livestock breeds, the regulation of climate change through carbon sequestration, the production of quality local products, the maintenance of soil fertility and the prevention of forest fires through the control of combustible biomass.

This project aims to provide a sustainable management model to minimise the risk of fires and guarantee the preservation of eco-systemic services and the ecological quality of the communal lands in Navarre.

Although different silvopastoral systems have been tested inside and outside Navarre, their implementation is still limited in relation to the needs to achieve the expected environmental results.

This lack of implementation and final adoption by livestock farmers, although multi-factorial, responds, among other issues, to a need for institutional support for appropriate practices to provide eco-systemic services.

At the same time, the project seeks to offer innovative solutions based on innovative technological tools to facilitate grazing livestock management.

How did you solve the problem?

The project, which still in progress, is implementing a pilot of silvopastoral management for environmental purposes in the municipality of Oloriz (Navarre).

Grazing for environmental purposes comprises practices that seek to manage herbivores for a specific purpose (ecosystem restoration, fuel control, mosaic landscapes, etc.), ensuring animal welfare and adequate energy supply. These environmental grazing practices cannot be carried out with just any animal or herd, and it is necessary to know these premises and the most appropriate tools in order to achieve the objectives sought in the medium term, which is why it is of great interest to set up pilot projects to demonstrate and test these management practices and which can serve as a reference for sustainable silvopastoral practices.

In addition to the demonstration of livestock management practices, the analysis of their effect on the environment (vegetation and fuel biomass) and on livestock profitability and the operation of virtual fencing will be evaluated at the same time.

All the results obtained will be transferred to the sector, so that this project can serve as a reference for the adoption of similar management in other areas.

What is innovative in your practical case?

The grazing technology to be studied in this project is a virtual fence system with a solar-powered GPS collar, particularly Nofence® system (https://www.nofence.no/en-gb/), an innovative technology beyond the usual practices of livestock farmers in our region.

Virtual fences consist of virtual boundaries. These systems work by training livestock to respect a virtual fence line by pairing an audible warning tone with an electric shock. It is a very flexible technology, as the limits of the fences can be controlled by means of an app for mobile phones. In addition, it can also delimit areas that cannot be fenced, detect animal inactivity and generate exclusion areas in restricted or dangerous areas, avoiding, for example, falls in mountainous areas.

Moreover, the geo-localisation of livestock allows the animals to be monitored remotely, without the need to be physically present. Users can know where their livestock is at all times, saving the long days of searching that they have traditionally invested to locate the animals grazing in large areas.

Besides, the demonstration of silvopastoral management practices for the control of fuel biomass together with the analysis of livestock profitability and its transfer to the sector is also innovative.

What are the success factors in solving the problem?

  • The cooperation among all the actors involved in the purposes and in the design of the pilot: the farmers, the Association of Pirenaica Cows Breeders of Navarra (ASPINA), INTIA, public authorities (council and regional government) and Nofence® (Virtual Fence company).
  • The funding of pilot costs by the Measure 16.2 of the Rural Development Programme of Government of Navarra.
  • The demonstration of virtual fencing technology and of silvopastoral management for environmental purposes. Extensive livestock farming can brings a multitude of benefits to society, which are referred to as “eco-systemic services”.
  • Trainings: The livestock farmers involved in the project will be trained in the flora and fauna of the area, and in the use of the different species of livestock as an agent of conservation and improvement of the designed landscape. They also will be trained in the use of the virtual fence system.

Lessons learned

As mentioned before, this is an ongoing project that started last July. However, there are some lessons that can be already highlighted:

  • The implementation of innovative management in demonstration pilots, under real conditions, and the transfer of the results to the sector, i.e. communicating what has worked, what are the limitations encountered, aspects to be improved, etc., is essential to promote the adoption of similar management in other areas.
  • Likewise, communicating and valuing the positive externalities that extensive livestock farming can have on society is of great importance in order to improve the image of the sector among consumers.

What role does the advisor or advisory service play with the practical case?

  • Pilot monitoring (vegetation and cattle, according to the established grazing plan).
  • Profitability of silvopastoral management for environmental purposes, taking into account the variation in grazing resources, livestock productivity, etc.
  • A report-guide elaboration, considering pilot results and learning. It will also include possible recommendations that could be useful for the implementation of silvopastoral management experiences with similar environmental purposes.
  • Evaluation of the use of GPS collars and virtual fencing for monitoring livestock movements and reducing fencing installations.
  • Organization of trainings and demonstrations.

Can your approach be transferred and/or adapted for other innovation challenges and regions?

Yes

Estimated transferability on a scale from 1 to 5

(where 1 is easy and 5 very difficult)

3

 

For sharing the experience on the good practice, please contact

Maite Aguilar Ramírez

maguilar@intiasa.es

Link to external information

https://www.intiasa.es/web/es/proyectos-investigacion/pdr-2022-pastoreo-sostenible