Mountain sheep grazing systems provide multiple ecological, socio-economic, and food quality benefits
Garmendía, Eneko (Universidad del País Vasco. Departamento de Economía Aplicada)
Aldezabal, Arantza (Universidad del País Vasco. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología)
Galán, Elena (Basque Centre for Climate Change (Bilbao))
Andonegi, Aitor (Universidad del País Vasco. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología)
Del Prado, Agustín (Basque Centre for Climate Change (Bilbao))
Gamboa, Gonzalo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
García, Oihana (Universidad del País Vasco. Departamento de Economía Aplicada)
Pardo, Guillermo (Basque Centre for Climate Change (Bilbao))
Aldai, Noelia (Universidad del País Vasco)
Barron, Luis Javier R. (Universidad del País Vasco)

Título variante:	Los sistemas de pastoreo de montaña de ovejas proveen múltiples beneficios ecológicos, socio-económicos y de calidad alimentaria
Fecha:	2022
Resumen:	Pastoral systems face increasing pressure from competing global markets, food sector industrialization, and new policies such as Europe's post-2020 Common Agriculture Policy. This pressure threatens the use of extensive sheep-grazing systems in mountain areas of low productivity but high natural value. Using information gathered at a long-term research setting in a mountainous area of the Basque Country (northern Spain), we assessed the multiple benefits of extensive dairy sheep grazing systems from multiple perspectives using indicators pertaining to ecological, socio-economic, and food quality domains. In this way, we address the benefits that would be lost if sheep grazing abandonment persists in mountain regions. Our results show that the benefits of extensive dairy sheep grazing in the research area include the production of healthy and high-quality foods and multiple ecological benefits including biodiversity conservation. Extensive dairy sheep grazing also contributes to rural development by generating employment and income in marginal, low-productivity lands that can support few economic alternatives. In particular, we found that sheep farmers who produce high-value products, such as cheese, have enhanced their economic profitability and are less dependent on public subsidies. However, careful attention to sustainable practices, support for new generations of farmers, and streamlined supply chains are required. These would contribute to ensure socio-economic benefits for farmers, avoid the ecological costs associated with grazing abandonment, and enhance ecosystem services for the whole society.
Ayudas:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2013-48361-C2-1-R Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2020-113395RB-C21 Agencia Estatal de Investigación MDM-2017-0714 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación RYC-2011-08593 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación RYC-2017-22143
Nota:	Altres ajuts: Basque Government to E.G (IT1022-16), A.A (IT1365-19), and L.J.R.B. (IT944-16)
Nota:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Derechos:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Lengua:	Anglès
Documento:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Materia:	Sustainability ; Multi-criteria evaluation ; Dairy sheep ; Mountain areas ; Rural development ; Biodiversity ; Nutritional and sensory food quality
Publicado en:	Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Vol. 42, Issue 3 (June 2022) , art. 47, ISSN 1773-0155

DOI: 10.1007/s13593-021-00751-7

13 p, 1.1 MB

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