• The initiative works in 9 protected areas in Spain to highlight the importance of grazing and extensive livestock farming as instruments for land conservation and population retention.

In a current context of changing sociodemographic and climatic challenges, initiatives are emerging that seek to demonstrate the value of regenerative traditional practices as a spur to address these challenges. This is the case with "Nature Pastoreada ," a project that extols the value of pastoralism as a necessary economic activity in the current context of demographic challenges for nature conservation, the economic recovery of depopulated areas, and the fight against climate change.

To this end, it is currently working in protected areas , i.e., areas that, due to their specific natural values, are governed by a special legal regime for their protection. Specifically, the project is implemented in nine protected natural areas, where the conservation status of seven habitats and nine bird species is being improved. And, in all of them, grazing is the economic driver of all activity.

Thus, under the shelter of this activity, the following are developed:

• Plans for differentiation, marketing and transformation of products derived from grazing.
• Tourism product design.
• The promotion of grazed grass seeds (“Alpacas for sowing”) as a new grazing product.
• The development of alliances with other initiatives for the commercialization of derivative products.
• Legislative improvements to make women shepherds more visible in pastoralism.

Grazed territories

Spain is the European Union country with the largest area of agricultural and livestock systems of high environmental value. Furthermore, Spain is the third country in the world with the most systems recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)—the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) —behind only China and Japan. This implies that a large part of our natural heritage depends on low-intensity agricultural and livestock activities.

However, there are one million hectares of high nature value pastures that are threatened by the lack of grazing.

This is why "Naturaleza pastoreada" currently develops grazing models for 15 extensive livestock farms , 4,000 hectares , and 9 protected natural areas (with 200 head of cattle and 9,000 head of sheep).

These livestock farms are distributed across five different autonomous communities: Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, the Autonomous Community of Navarre, the Valencian Community, and Extremadura.

To find out more about which grazing projects are being developed in each area, you can consult them here .

Pastoralism and shepherds

In grazing, it is crucial that livestock be well managed and that animals move together, grazing an area for a short period of time and then not returning to that same spot until the necessary rest period has been ensured.

Therefore, the shepherd 's role is vital to ensure herding in a "herd effect," that is, to ensure that the animals move together at specific times.

The benefits of grazing could be listed in several points:

• Soil care
• Production of quality food
• Generation of local economic activities around livestock (such as artisanal cheese or sausage industries).
• Cultural heritage.
• Revitalizing rural areas through innovation in the livestock sector.

“Grazed Nature” is a project of the Global Nature Foundation , along with other partners that can be consulted here .