Last Thursday, at Montesquiu Castle, the first training session on extensive livestock farming was held as part of the BCN Smart Rural strategy, led by the Barcelona Provincial Council to transform the agri-food sector in the province. Despite the threat of rain, the event was a success, highlighting new opportunities arising in the field.

During the morning session, nearly 30 participants attended an introductory talk where Maria Díaz and Laia Batalla, from the Catalas Shepherds' School, presented key concepts of extensive livestock farming. Next, Pere Navarro, technician from the BCN Smart Rural land banks outlined ongoing initiatives and resources available to farmers. Following this, Josep Vidal, forestry engineer from the same project, discussed the significance of extensive livestock farming in forest protection and wildfire prevention.

Marta Martínez, a technician from the Montserrat Rural Park, explained how shared processing facilities can help facilitate product transformation and boost livestock activity. She also introduced El Tall, an innovative facility in Catalonia combining training and meat processing services under one roof. Before the lunch break, David Meya, forestry engineer for the Government of Catalonia, detailed the various grants available to extensive livestock farmers in the region.

The event concluded with a field visit to Sora, where livestock farm managers demonstrated how they use GPS collars to monitor their animals.

Fire-proofing forests

According to the sixth BCN Smart Rural Data Bite, the province of Barcelona is close to reaching the necessary number of animals grazing extensively to reduce the accumulation of combustible vegetation in forests, thus improving long-term conservation. However, the report also highlights the need to increase livestock presence across the region, as 78% of extensive farms are concentrated in just two counties: Osona and Berguedà.

With over 514,000 hectares of forest area and the increasing reality of global warming, the risk of large wildfires is a growing concern for the Barcelona Provincial Council. For this reason, extensive livestock farming is viewed as a key tool in protecting the region’s forests.

This event marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Catalonia Shepherd School, aiming to support the new generation of extensive livestock farmers.

— BCN Smart Rural Editorial —