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Alpine-wide network for shepherds

Feb 03, 2022 / Veronika Hribernik, CIPRA International
What are the possibilities and challenges for a cross-border organisation for shepherds in the Alps? CIPRA held an online conference on 27 January 2022 with representatives from agricultural colleges, national authorities, nature conservation groups and shepherds' organisations to find answers.
Image caption:
The hard work of shepherds is often accompanied by idyllic images. © David Henguely

“With their work, shepherds – in addition to meat production from regional cycles – make an important contribution to preserving the biodiversity of Alpine landscapes”, says Manon Wallenberger, project manager at CIPRA International. There is therefore a need for greater awareness of why their work is so important. At the end of January, along with some 40 experts, she discussed the work and practice of shepherds, the funding opportunities available through the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and a possible Erasmus+ project with and for shepherds in the Alps, for which she is looking for project partners.

The profession of shepherd is challenging and affected by pressure from large predators. The working hours are long, there is no long-term financial security and few to no days off. In most Alpine countries, shepherds are hardly organised and have little influence at political level as they cannot speak with a unified voice. A network reaching across the Alps could help here, as confirmed by participants at the conference. To this end, it would be essential to network existing organisations and promote exchanges across the Alps as regards training and funding opportunities – taking into account regional and national differences in languages and working methods.

The conference was financed by the “Life Euro Large Carnivores” project and built upon the findings of the CIPRA project “Knowledge Transfer on the Co-adaptation of Humans and Wolves in the Alpine Region”.