The LIFE SCRUBSNET project held a results transfer workshop aimed at key stakeholders in the dehesa system in the Valle de Los Pedroches, as part of the second day of its coordination meeting, with the aim of bringing the progress of the project closer to the agricultural and livestock sector and promoting the replicability of its actions.
The workshop took place at the facilities of the Cooperativa Ganadera del Valle de Los Pedroches (COVAP), a strategic location for the transfer of knowledge to the region.
Transfer through COVAP, a key cooperative in the region
The transfer of the project was carried out through COVAP, a cooperative that brings together more than 2,500 livestock farmers in the Valle de Los Pedroches. This channel allows for the direct and effective dissemination of the project’s results among the professionals who manage and maintain the pasture ecosystem.
During the conference, the cooperative’s energy model was highlighted, based on a biomass plant, a biogas plant and a photovoltaic plant, which cover approximately 65% of total energy consumption, with an investment of around 25 million euros, approved by the livestock farmers themselves.
Conference content
The conference began with an institutional welcome by:
• Emilio De León y Ponce de León, head of livestock production at COVAP, who highlighted the importance of the dehesa for the sustainability of the agricultural and livestock system and the sector’s commitment to innovation and energy efficiency.
• Vicente Rodríguez Estévez, professor at the University of Córdoba, who underlined the value of collaboration between science and the productive sector to guarantee the future of the pastureland.
This was followed by technical and scientific presentations:
• Emilio De León y Ponce de León (COVAP), who addressed the importance of pastureland for agricultural and livestock sustainability from a productive and territorial perspective.
• Vicente Rodríguez Estévez (University of Córdoba), who presented the benefits of the shrub layer in the dehesa, highlighting its role in biodiversity, soil and animal welfare.
• André Oliveira (University of Évora) and Javier Alonso (Ecohabitat), who presented the activities carried out on the pilot farms of the LIFE SCRUBSNET project and the main results obtained to date.
• Lorena Gómez Aparicio, researcher at the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), who presented actions related to drought, soil and the effect of shrubs on the resilience of the pastureland.
• Gerardo Moreno Marco (University of Extremadura), who presented the work of the livestock group within the project, focusing on the integration of ecological actions with livestock production.
The conference concluded with a round of questions and debate, encouraging direct exchange between researchers, technicians and representatives of the sector, and with an institutional closing by Emilio De León y Ponce de León and Vicente Rodríguez Estévez.
Transfer and next steps
This transfer workshop reinforces LIFE SCRUBSNET’s commitment to the practical application of scientific knowledge and the direct involvement of the livestock sector in the restoration and sustainable management of the pastureland.
During the final year of the project, LIFE SCRUBSNET will continue to promote the dissemination of results, the preparation of transferable technical documents and the creation of synergies that will enable the solutions developed to be scaled up.
