17.05.2017

At the opening of the conference, the Ministry's Director General of Agricultural Production and Markets highlighted its commitment to this production system . Representatives from the Ministry presented the "Status of Extensive Livestock Farming," and the Spanish Office for Climate Change presented the "Evolution and Progress of the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change." The Entretantos Foundation then presented the "Study on the Situation of Extensive Livestock Farming in Spain," prepared in collaboration with the Ministry and based on the definition and characterization of the extensive model on Spanish livestock farms. Finally, the Polytechnic University of Madrid closed the block of presentations with its presentation "Study on the Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation to Climate Change in Extensive Livestock Production Systems in Spain," prepared in collaboration with the Spanish Office for Climate Change.

These presentations will serve as a starting point for comparing the results of these studies with the experiences of other experts and opening a line of communication with all stakeholders involved. Finally, a roundtable discussion was held to discuss other initiatives being carried out in this area. The debate emphasized the importance of an in-depth understanding of the specific characteristics of the various livestock sectors . Everyone agreed on the importance of understanding the framework within which livestock farming takes place in order to adequately respond to future challenges , especially in the upcoming phase of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) . The need to continue working collaboratively with the various stakeholders involved, establishing synergies, and strengthening coordination with the Ministry was also highlighted. The objective of this teamwork is to join forces and coordinate the interests of livestock production and environmental commitments , including climate change mitigation and adaptation .

During the roundtable discussion, the initiative to designate 2020 as the International Year of Pastures and Pastoralism was raised. One of the conclusions of this event was the agreement to continue identifying the challenges and opportunities facing extensive livestock farming, highlighting the challenge of combating climate change and other social, environmental, and economic issues affecting extensive livestock farming.

The presentations made during the day are available at this link on the MAPAMA website.