Which future for pastoralism in Europe? The cohabitation with large carnivores and the attractivity of the pastoral jobs in question

Discussion workshop for the Euromontana’s members – 7th March 2018 – Moûtiers (France)

Pastoralism is a traditional activity of extensive animal breeding, practiced in particular in the mountain regions. This form of breeding allows the development of territories with low agronomic value (difficult to access or not mechanisable), and thus to maintain an economic activity in these zones. Pastoralism also has the advantage of maintaining open landscapes, thus playing a role in the development of tourism and biodiversity, as well as the prevention of natural disasters. However, the continuation of pastoral activity is threatened by various difficulties: difficulties related to the economic context, difficulties in finding sufficient land to maintain the herds, difficulties in effectively and consistently organising the pastureland of the herds in the context of the seasonal use of the land with strong environmental issues and the pressure exerted by other users of the pastureland.

Among the numerous challenges pastoralism has to face in the European mountains, this discussion workshop discussed about two of them, namely the cohabitation with large carnivores and how to maintain the attractiveness in pastoral jobs.

Although individual positions are not always convergent, this workshop allowed fruitful exchanges, comprehensive listening and dialogue among the members from 11 countries and representing different types of organizations (researchers, farmers, environmental and regional development agencies, regions).