Ecological Role of Cattle Migration Recognised in Spain

SPAIN - Spain's Secretary General of Agriculture and Food, Carlos Cabanas has highlighted the role of livestock transhumance in conserving landscapes.
calendar icon 27 October 2015
clock icon 1 minute read

The minister was speaking at a welcome for migrants at the Transhumance Festival organised in Madrid.

He stressed the impact on economic development in rural areas, providing meat with added value of quality and animal welfare due to the unique feeding of the animals.

Mr Cabanas said he valued the contribution of the migratory activity in the preservation and maintenance of landscapes of great beauty and heritage interest, and in promoting the development of indigenous livestock breeds, many of them endangered.

He also emphasised its role in maintaining an extensive network of trails, "which constitute more than 100,000 km, authentic natural ecological corridors that we can all enjoy."

Mr Cabanas added that the migratory livestock use grazing resources that otherwise could not be exploited, and the end of transhumance would have serious environmental consequences, as such grazing helps to prevent fires.

The festival of transhumance, which has been held since 1994, brings nomadic livestock to the urban population of Madrid. The celebration aims to aid the recovery of a tradition from the Middle Ages and draw attention to the positive impact of the livestock sector in the economy and biodiversity. 

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