Promotion of animal and pastoral farming, "Promotion du pastoralisme"

Best Practice

Topics

• Regional value added
• Policies and instruments

Short description

The Fédération des Alpages de l'Isère is an association established in 1982, which unites farmers, transhumant shepherds, alps' managers, owners' alps associations (AFP-Associations Foncières Pastorales), local authorities (which in French are called "collectivités locales", that is to say the municipalities, the agglomerations, the departments and the regions), farmers' associations. The association guarantees the promotion, communication, information and training linked to the pastoral activity. At the moment, FAI inculdes 120 towns and 100 "pastoral groups". FAI, in collaboration with the Chambre d'Agriculture de l'Isère et des Hautes-Alpes, has organized the support to the animal and pastoral farming in mountanious regions involving local economic actors in order to use in a correct way the European funds. The number of animals has been balanced with the carring capacity of fragile ecosystems such as those of the Alps.This has led to the maintenance of the traditional landscape (which is the main tourist attractive) and, at the same time, to the increase of the farmers' income, avoiding the abandonment of traditional activities. Furthermore, the Fédération des Alpages also promotes the pastoral farming with a very original international film festival on this activity called "Pastoralismes et Grands Espaces", which takes place every year and which provides the involvement of the farmers coming from the Countries of the South of the world, who can exchange their knowledge and experiences (Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, Ciad, etc). The first agreement has been signed in 1998 with the Park of Ecrins and has a 5 years validity. The first edition of the Festival has been organized in 1994. Endogenous resources: local and traditional landscape (farmsteads, alps), farmers, local agriculture products. Pastoralism can be defined as a way to use and to manage natural renewable resources (grass and water). Economic sectors involved: agriculture, tourism.

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Project executive

Fédération des Alpages (in collaboration with Chambre d'Agriculture de Isère et des Hautes-Alpes). Address: La Grange, 38190 Les Adrets, tel. +33-04-76711020; fax +33-0476711029; e-mail: federation.alpages.38@wanadoo.fr

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Participants

Cooperation with the Chambre Agriculture of the Hautes-Alpes and Isère Departments, with the Park of Ecrins and Cerpam, with the Maison des Eleveurs de Saint Louis in Senegal. In particular, the organization of the film festival and of the meetings on pastoralism is made possible through the co-operation between FAI, GIE Alpages et Forêts, Sociétés d'Economie Alpestre de Savoie et Haute-Savoie and in partnership with Agricultural Ministry, France Association Pastoralisme du Monde, Association Française de Pastoralisme, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières, Mountain Forum. The key element of the project is not linked to a person in particular (even though the president of FAI represents a kind of "cultural moving spirit" of the activities), but to the good integration of the actors involved. It is difficult to evaluate the level of identification of the participants with the project since probably they can identify more with their traditional activity than with the project, which indirectly let them to maintain it. Certainly the accompanying and animation activities done by FAI have contributed to the increase of local actors' consciousness.

Objectives

The mission of the association is the " elaboration and realization of the policy for the valorization of the pastoral region of Isère....finalized to the maintenance of the pastoral and forestry activities in mountain regions and to harmonize the relations between the owners and the users of the alps..".

Activities

1.Co-operation with the "Chambre d'Agriculture" of the Hautes Alpes and Isère Departments; 2. Co-operation with the National Park of Ecrins through the participation in the "Commissione Agricole" and an agreement that defines the commitment of both partners for the maintenance and organization of the sustainable pastoral activity; in particular, FAI is responsible for the realization ad personam of the so called "diagnostic pastoraux" in collaboration with the "agents" of the park, towns and farmers; 3. Film Festival on "Pastoralisme et grands espaces" (more than 150 films coming from the five continents have been presented until now) and the "international meetings on pastoralism" every two year since 1994; 4. animation of the "Maison des alpages" (expositions, meetings, professional training, environmental education) in collaboration with the town of Besse en Oisans; 5. twinning with the "House of the farmers" of Saint Louis in Senegal - since 2001 through a programme of professional, academic and technologies exchanges, especially dealing with farming, training and evironment management.

Process

Involvement of the local actors in the management of a multifunctional space like the one of mountain regions; all the actors involved have their delegates in the board of FAI; partnership activities with the local public authority.

Results

1. Maintenance of the traditional mountain landscape ("diagnostic pastoraux" for 25 alps in the park have been realized, 2002 data). 2. Achievement of the optimum of the carrying capacity of the alps. 3. Preservation of the local and traditional activity of pastoralism. Economic support and accompanying, which has let the farmers continuing their activity. 4. Cultural exchange and opening towards other realities of the rural and marginal communities, often frustrated by the general process of disinvestment in the traditional activities. The exchange of experiences often helps to find new solutions to this problem. The exchange with the farmers coming from Senegal presents one of the most interesting perspectives for the future and it could lead to an experimentation of a "code of pastoralism".5. Definition of solutions for the improvement of the coexistence of the traditional activity of pastoralism and the functions assumed by the territory. In particular, to resolve the question of the return of the wolf, Fai and the "Comité départemental de suivi du loup" finance and manage the diffusion of devices (lights, sounds etc.) that help to move away the predator from the flocks of sheep. The traditional alpine landscape is an economic soustainable resource for the Alps, which could be hardly replaced. Since the activities that, in the past, have formed that landscape are no more economically relevant, the support to the multifunctionality of these activities is necessary in the Alps. The exchanges with other cultures allow the alpine world to assume a key role as a subject not at all marginal and that has a know-how heritage to preserve and to share.

Evaluation

FAI makes periodical studies to evaluate the state of the forage resources in the alps. A specific evaluation of the project has not been conducted yet, but the results are monitored every years. This helped to contain the rural exodus.

Difficulties

In the last 3-4 years financements have been limited and this has led to the decrease of the activities organized and promoted. The question linked to the presence of the wolf is an element of argument with the Park of Ecrins since the farmers consider this presence a risk not easily escapable.

Financial backer

The funds managed by FAI come from the Rhone-Alpes Region and the Isère Department.

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

Mountain Forum: mfsupport@mtnforum.org; http://www.lagruyere.ch/archives/2001/01.10.20/article3.htm; www.resacoop.org/lettres/38_pg01.htm; www.presences-grenoble.fr/octobre2002/lignetourisme.htm, www.loup.org/spip/article202.html; Rapport d'activité - Park Ecrins, 2001, 2002

Publication

"Compte-rendu de la Commission Agricole" (28-11-03), "Projet de convention cadre entre le Parc National des Ecrins e la Fédération des Alpages de l'Isère", "Convention relative à la réalisation de diagnostics d'alpage dans le Parc National des Ecrins" 16-07-01); pubblication on the "Festival du film Pastoralisme &Grands espaces - V edition - 25-28 septembre 2002" (Grenoble, Grésivaudan, Belledonee),

Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

1.Maintenance of the traditional landscape. 2. Maintenance of the forage resources in the alps, evaluated even from the perspecitve of local the biodiversity. Attention to the carrying capacity of the alps through the constant monitoring activities supported by FAI and the park. 4. Co-operation to the resolution of the conflict shepherd/wolf.

Economic value added

The pastoral activity in Isère involves the 80% of the flocks of sheep coming from the south and the centre of France. The maintenance af such activities, thus, has an economic relevance that is not only local. The regional value added is constituted by the maintenance of the traditional landscape, which is a hardly replaceable economic resource for the tourism in the Alps (where 10% of the entire world tourist activities are concentrated). In particular, the Rhone-Alpes region has conquered, in 2000, 10,3% of the indoor tourist market in terms of stays. The regional value added is not based on the number of new working places, but on the keeping of the already existing activities. This can be demonstrated by some data: in 1962 there were only 6000 cattle and less than 80.000 ovines in the alps; today there is 12.000 cattle and more than 100.000 ovines in 70.000 hectares. The project has a high potential to keep people in the region because it contributes to limit the rural exodus. Today, there are 80 shepherds in the region. Multiplier effects are in the tourism sector: in the 18 towns included in the Park of Ecrins the Maison du Parc, Nusei e Syndacat d'initiative have counted 42.540 visits in 2002. Economic impact in Central and South France, from where the 80% of the flocks sheep come.

Socio-cultural value added

Cultural exchanges among the farmers coming both from the North and from the South of the world; decrease of the rural exodus; promotion in the schools of the thematic of pastoralism through the "Maison des Alpages".

Innovative content

The individuation of a possibility to open marginal territory, which were in the past characterised by the process of depopulation. Shepherds consulting through the "diagnostic pastoraux" in collaboration with the Park.

Good governance

The partners are efficiently represented by FAI; signature of agreements that committ the public authority to precise activities of co-operation in the territory.

PR impact

Involvement of the actors interested in the theme of pastoralism; use of films as instruments to make the North and the South of the world meet on common interests; tourists' involvement through the activities Maison des Alpages.

Multiplier effect / networking

Exchange activities between North and South farmers have led to the creation of new networks of co-operation.

Transferability

The philosophy of the project can be transferred, but the project itself depends on public investment and funds that are linked to the French laws. The availability of public funds is the specific basic condition necessary to implement the project in other regions.