In a European context of agricultural decline, a crisis in food systems (quality, safety, globalisation), the closure of landscapes and the extension of forests, multiple forms of pollution (air, water, soil), the loss of biodiversity, the loss of traditional and cultural knowledge, and climate change, extensive pastoralism appears to be a relevant response to these issues by maintaining open environments that promote biodiversity and reduce the risk of fire, and by quality production through natural herd feeding and the absence of the use of phytosanitary products (lower input costs). .. Moreover, pastoralism plays its part in the economy of industrial and artisanal sectors. Beyond the production of meat and milk, it abounds in others such as wool and leather, materials that are in vogue and whose development can be imagined because of their qualities and sustainability. However, pastoralism itself faces difficulties such as predation on herds (bears, wolves, wild dogs, management of tourism and patous), damage to crops and deterioration of grasslands by wild animals, access to land, the use of phytosanitary products to treat parasitism, meteorological disturbances (periods of drought and humidity), economic difficulties for farmers, etc. Faced with the emergence and expansion of a multifactorial and uncertain situation, training must know how to adapt and seek new ways of responding. Our postulate lies in the idea that European diversity and collaborative methods are a way to achieve this. These are, therefore, the first bases for cooperation on the subject of formation for pastoralism that we wish to build here. Starting from the observation that we face the same difficulties and that our contexts are similar in Spain, Slovenia and France, the partners of PastorEA set themselves the following objectives: I. to refine the inter-mutual knowledge of the contexts and to identify the points of convergence and divergence; II. to make an inventory of the organisation of training and the transmission of knowledge in pastoralism (including approaches, methods and pedagogical tools); III. to analyse and compare training systems; IV. to elaborate scenarios for the development of training in pastoralism based on field issues and to identify the relevant pedagogical elements with regard to these issues; V. Contribute to making pastoralism visible so that it is recognized for the important place it can have in the agro-ecological transition. The project brings together different institutions in three different countries: - Spain (Federacion de Escuelas Agrarias de Galicia) in charge of training agricultural advisers and future herders, - Slovenia (Naklo Biotechnology Centre), in charge of training managers, agricultural advisers and technicians, teachers and future breeders, - France (L'Institut Agro - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut de Florac) in charge of teacher training. Three training sessions of 3 days each will be organized in one country for a mixed public. About ten people per country will participate in the transnational training courses for farmers and shepherds, teachers, trainers, advisors and technicians in chambers of agriculture, from pastoral associations and unions, or organizations managing labels or brands. They will be selected for their expertise in their field (ecology, animal husbandry, pastoralism, pedagogy, technique, management, etc.), their ability to multiply information (networks), and their relevance to the development of training courses in their country at a later date. Each will bring their own vision of pastoralism, their own context and will be the bearer of the dissemination of the work. Two seminars will be held during these training sessions. The first one will prepare them in form and substance. The last will analyse the elements collected, formalise the scenarios for the development of training and evaluate the achievements and the process mobilised. If need be, it will enable to position itself on the relevance of a second innovation development project. The expected results are the sharing of the context and the stakes of each one; an inventory of the structuring and organisation of training in pastoralism in each country; an inventory of approaches, methods and pedagogical tools for the transmission (formal or informal) of knowledge; the constitution of the basis of a European cooperation network on the issue of training in pastoralism to envisage subsequently a project for the development of innovation on the aspects of training engineering and pedagogical resources; scenarios for the development of training.
The partners, as training organisations, proposed to share an inventory of the actors organisation as well as pastoral systems and practices in each country, and above all to analyse the transmission of knowledge (which vectors? Which topics are addressed? What concerns do the stakeholders have regarding the transmission of knowledge?), particularly with regard to predation, fire risk, biodiversity preservation, wildlife damage and climate change in their country. In a second phase, and based on the material gathered, the aim was to develop training paths for the public of each partners, to identify the practices and educational tools used and the gaps in the topics listed above. This was done at the level of each country, but also at the level of the European partnership. In addition, the program was intended to lay the foundations for a partnership and to expand it during the project in order to built a European training network that could work towards the creation of resources and educational tools on the shared issues.
Pastoralism is a form of livestock breeding that respects the environment. On the other hand, it contributes to socio-economic models that are viable for farmers and to the preservation of landscapes. It could therefore play an important role in the agro-ecological transition. However, it is facing new problems, such as the return of large predators, the increase in intense climatic events and damage by wild animals. Beyond the food quality and security it produces, pastoralism responds to several societal challenges such as the risk of fire, the preservation of biodiversity and participates in the mitigation of climate change. In terms of training, specific courses on the pastoral approach to livestock farming are disparate and disconnected from each other in France, rare and occasional in Spain and do not exist in Slovenia. This is a problem in its transmission to future generations. Consequently, it is necessary to reflect on the modalities and educational tools in order to provide concrete solutions for the pastoral breeding of tomorrow. We need to join forces to make pastoralism visible, share our practices and develop it through training.