grazing systems in the north of portugal: an integrated ......shepherds’ profile: main results...

Grazing Systems in the North of Portugal:

An Integrated Overview

Filipa Torres-Manso, Alexandra Marta-Costa, Luís Tibério and Rui Pinto

Évora, 27 September 2016

http://www.cetrad.info/?action=noticias/viewSummaries

http://www.cetrad.info/?action=noticias/viewSummaries

Grazing Systems in the North of Portugal: An Integrated Overview

Contents:

- Grazing Systems context in the North of Portugal

- Grazing in the “Alvão-Marão” Site

. The Shepherd’s Profile

. The Recognition of Paths

. Shepherd’s Social Context

- The Evaluation of the Grazing System in the “Serra De

Montemuro” Site

- Viability and Sustainability of the Agroforestry Systems

. Social Aspect

. Economic Aspect

. Environmental Aspect

– Final Remarks


Grazing Systems context in the North of Portugal

The decreasing trend of pastoral activity has given rise to new

questions about the relevance of pastoralism as a socio-economic

and environmental activity;

Rural abandonment has implied an increase of shrub vegetation,

promoting the accumulation of biomass fuel, which is associated

with high fire spreading;

Many priority habitats of the Natura 2000 Network could be

compromised.


A set of prospective approaches has been carried out, focusing on upland areas of the North of Portugal, classified as part of the Natura Network

Objective:

Understand the shepherds’ contextual problems on their activity

“Alvão Marão” Site : Two different periods - 1999 and 2011

“Serra de Montemuro” Site - 2008


Grazing in the “Alvão-Marão” Natura 2000 Network Site

The “Alvão-Marão” Site comprises the Alvão (1330 m) and Marão (1416 m) mountains and is bordered to the West by Tâmega River and to the East by Corgo River.



Shepherd’s Profile (1999)

Participant observation technique:

- 5 breeders were identified after a selection process relied on the

division into three age groups:

- under 25: 2 shepherds

- between 25 and 60: 1 shepherd

- and over 60: 2 shepherds



Shepherd’s Profile: Main Results (1999)

All shepherds who were interviewed had a low education level;

The practice of this activity began very early, usually at nine or ten years old;

Most of the shepherds stated that they enjoyed the activity and even felt “passion for it”;

The two main activities in which they divide their time are the breeding (cattle and goats) and agriculture;

3 of these shepherds had the emigration experience in countries as France, Brazil, and Canada, where they performed completely different jobs.



Shepherds’ Profile: main results (1999) (2)

According to most of them,

The coexistence with the Alvão Natural Park employees was also positive, but

It was with the parish councils that the shepherds reported greater relationship problems, as well as with the Forestry Services technicians and keepers.



Shepherds’ Profile: main results (1999) (3)

In addition to the goats, all shepherds had Maronesa cows for the production of calves to trade meat;

All of them had their own land, in which they practice some agriculture, mainly for the animals’ consumption;

In the balance between profits and expenses, the shepherds stated that the activity was enough to survive, but that did not imply a large profit margin;

All of them felt that their activity was in danger of disappearing;

They sustained this argument with the insufficient financial support received for the activity and also with the fact that it is not very appealing to the young.



The Recognition of Paths (2011)

The pastoralism paths was carried out in parishes that were more

susceptible to wildfires caused by the pastoral activities, with focus on the

following items:

Evaluate the different types of vegetation in areas used by grazing in the

traditional paths;

Geo-reference the selected grazing paths;

Analyse the grazing paths in terms of needs of intervention to reduce

biomass fuel and the subdivision of landscape to prevent fires;

Understand the shepherds’ needs, both in terms of grazing systems and

in the social aspect.


The Recognition of Paths (2011) (2)

Effective livestock, fire density (FD) and percentage of burned area (PAB) per parish of Vila Real municipality in 2009

The Recognition of Paths (2011) (3)

The knowledge of the grazing paths

allowed us to identify locations within

them, where there were relevant

extensions of high bushes, which have

a higher risk of fires;

This information may allow the

competent official services to perform

the fire prevention.



The Shepherds’ Social Context

Semi-structured interviews were conducted while geo-reference their paths monitoring;

Six shepherds were interviewed;

The youngest shepherd was 25 and the oldest 67 years old.



The Shepherds’ Social Context: Main Results

Four shepherds had been emigrants in France or Switzerland;

Four of them reported that they particularly enjoy their job, because they

can walk freely, do not have to obey anyone and they like walking with the

animals;

As negative aspects they reported the daily animals’ dependence, the

loneliness, the cold and the low profitability.



The Shepherds’ Social Context: Main Results (2)

Two of them had the flock in partnership with another friend, so they can alternate the days of work;

The goat herds were all Bravia breed with an average of 200 goats;

The breeders mentioned the practice of direct sale of goats to butchers;

About the use of mobile phone, important for safety reasons and to avoid loneliness:

- 2 don’t have;

- The others have, but 3 don’t take it to the mountains.



The Shepherds’ Social Context: Main Results (3)

About the relationship with Alvão Natural Park and the municipalities:

- Cleaning the bushes,

- Cleaning the riparian areas and

- Create water points.

All shepherds stated that pastoralism had no future:

“because the younger ones were not interested in this, only if they were

returning from abroad...”.

The Evaluation of the Grazing System in the “Serra de

Montemuro” Site

This site “is bordered

to the North by the

Douro River and to

the West by the

Paiva River.

Its highest point lies

at approximately

1300m high.


The Evaluation of the Grazing System in the “Serra de

Montemuro” (2)

For the selection of shepherds to interview:

- Parishes that hold the maximum number of livestock per municipality

- Parishes with the largest and smallest declines in livestock per

municipality

The interviews in four parishes selected were semi-structured.


The Evaluation of the Grazing System in the “Serra de Montemuro”

Main Results

The effective livestock have suffered a sharp reduction, around 60%,between 1989 and 2009;

Seven breeders were interviewed:

2 of which having cattle activity

4 with small ruminants and cattle

1 with exclusive sheep activity

The breeders had an average of five cattle and thirty small ruminants forthe consumption of the family-farm.


The Evaluation of the Grazing System in the “Serra de Montemuro”

Main Results (2)

The calves from the Arouquesa breed were generally marketed by the Producers Group of Arouquesa Meat;

This certified product has Protected Designation of Origin, and is valued at 5 Euros at the producer;

When these animals were traded for direct sale to the consumer, cattle traders or other intermediaries, the price reached values below 4,5 euros;

The demand for small ruminants reach two peaks in the year, at Christmas and Easter, reaching the prices, of 10 Euros per kg, for the young goats, and 5 Euros per kg for lambs.


Viability and Sustainability of the Agroforestry Systems

The research performed in the Sites Alvão-Marão (1999 and 2011) as well

as in Serra de Montemuro (2008/2009), converges in several ways,

allowing the demonstration of the socio-economic reality of agroforestry in

the Northern Portugal.

Of this set of studies some remarks can be drawn taking into consideration

the social, economic and environmental aspects and highlight some of the

benefits/potential and costs/threats that result from those systems.

Critical Points

Positive Negative Points

Allows the creation of self-employment

Allows the obtaining of food for self-

consumption

Products of animal origin with food safety, due to

the reduction of chemical residues as a result of

limited or null use of chemical medicine, thanks to

the high rusticity and greater resistance to health

problems of the exploited cattle

More consumer confidence in the final

product

Contributes to the maintenance of abandoned

areas

Lack of alternatives to farming

Well-being and quality of life when

compared with urbans.

Demand everyday for labour

Laborious work as a result of steep slopes,

degraded or inaccessible routes

High aging rate of the population

Low education levels

Absence of descendants to continue with

farming

Farming activity not included in the projects from

the farmers for their children

Low appreciation of agro-livestock social

activity

High abandonment of activity in recent decades

High motivation among farmers for continuation of

activity

Land Structure (reduced areas, with high

fragmentation and steep slopes)

Poor conditions of habitability

Social Aspect

Table 1 identifies some critical social aspects of the systems, aiming at its sustainability, in order to promote its potential and overcome its weaknesses.

Critical Points

Positive Negative

Final Products of agroforestry systems are the main source of

revenue of the family farms or a source of supplementary

income

Obtaining food for self-consumption of family-

farms

High quality of the products for sale

Valuation of indigenous cattle (through certification)

Low production costs per animal compared with other

animal breeds (food, labour, veterinary, among others)

Minimum or zero expenditure on supplementary foods

Low dependence of production factors outside the farm

Low initial investment per animal compared with other animal

breeds (buildings and equipment)

Existence of a producers group of Arouquesa and Maronesa

meat, with the ability to sell the product at a good price,

ensuring health and hygiene standards of food safety

Multifunctionality of the farm, basis of biodiversity of the farm

It contributes to the maintenance and valuation of

abandoned areas

Reduced costs on fire prevention

Low profitability of agroforestry systems

Low income/production efficiency

Very reduced livestock per farm,

Subsidy-dependent systems

Delays in payments of subsidies

Lack valuation of sheep and goat products

Absence of a monthly fixed salary High prices for production (feedstuffs, cereals, among

others)

Difficulties in selling animal products, mainly sheep

and goat

Lack of organization of the entire row Absence of accounting records

Low productivity of the land (low soil quality)

Economical Aspect

Table 2 identifies the main critical points, economic context, which affect the sustainability of the agroforestry systems.

Environmental Aspects

Table 3 identifies some aspects that positively or negatively affect the sustainability of agroforestry systems and therefore constitute their forces/potential and threats/weaknesses

Critical Points

Positive Negative

Contributes to the maintenance and

valuation of abandoned areas Multifunctionality of the farms, basis of the biodiversity of

the farm

Preservation of indigenous breeds (some endangered)

Preservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and

landscape

Rational agro-livestock planning (better adaptation of

activities to the edafoclimatic conditions)

Extraordinary hardiness and ability to adapt to harsher

regions and ease of movement in rough and rugged

terrain of exploited species and breeds animals (high

rusticity)

High use of available resources by animals Weed control through the animal grazing with less use of

herbicides

Reducing the burned area Low stocking density

Contribution to carbon sink

Lack of landscape management

Abandoned forest Predominance, in some places, of forest species of rapid

growth (non-indigenous)

Villages dirty with animal waste

Absence of paths or inaccessible paths for

the shepherd


FINAL REMARKS

The challenge of development in the mountain areas should turn to their

strengths, investing on the products quality and bringing credibility to

the shepherd´s activity;

It is important to create better conditions for shepherd’s socio-economic development and their activity;

The pastoralism may play a multi-functionality of roles, from land surveillance to the promotion of nature tourism.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work is supported by national funds provided by the FCT - the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through its project UID/SOC/04011/2013.

THANK YOU!

Filipa Torres-Manso

e-mail: [email protected]

grazing systems in the north of portugal: an integrated ......shepherds’ profile: main results...

Documents