Pastoreo Vivo

Supporting livestock farming to preserve the natural environment

Underway

Pastoreo Vivo is a project that facilitates learning the craft of livestock farming and helps new people get involved in extensive livestock farming, combining practical training on farms, mentoring and regenerative management.

In our mountain ranges, many livestock farms are facing the retirement of their owners without being able to find anyone to take over the business. Their disappearance also means the loss of knowledge, of native breeds and of a way of managing the land that helps to maintain pastures, conserve biodiversity and reduce the build-up of vegetation.

To meet this challenge, the project proposes learning alongside those who have spent their whole lives working with livestock. Trainees receive training on real farms, supported by experienced livestock farmers and backed by technical and training support.

Pastoreo Vivo aims to create employment opportunities in rural areas and to trial management approaches that will ensure the continuity of livestock farming, whilst improving its viability and its relationship with the environment.

What we do

Project objectives

To facilitate the entry of new people into extensive livestock farming.
To support the continued operation of farms at risk of closure due to a lack of successors.
To pass on the knowledge and culture associated with pastoralism.
To promote regenerative management practices tailored to each farm.
To contribute to the conservation of native breeds, such as the Payoya goat and the Grazalema Merino sheep.
To raise awareness of the role of extensive livestock farming in landscape conservation.
To develop a model for learning and support that can be replicated on other farms.

What actions are going to be taken?

Three nine-month «Apprentice Shepherd» placements, offering the opportunity to learn the trade directly on mentor farms.
Support for trainees provided by professionals in the sector, combining day-to-day practical experience with supplementary training.
Five collaborative workshops on alternative livestock management models, administrative requirements, tools and management practices.
Five outreach and awareness-raising sessions aimed at schools and local communities.
Volunteering and community engagement activities linked to pastoralism and livestock farming.
Monitoring the learning process and the experience of the farms to identify areas for improvement and facilitate the model’s long-term sustainability.

Where and when

The project is being carried out in the Western Baetic Mountains, in the vicinity of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, the Los Alcornocales Natural Park and the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.

Status: underway.

Organisations and funding

Pastoreo Vivo is run by Serranías Vivas, with the involvement of mentor farms, professionals from the livestock sector and trainees. Ruralvet is collaborating throughout the project to provide training for the trainees.

The project is supported by the Unicaja Foundation as part of its Call for Environmental Projects.