The AGROFORes project was born as an innovative response model to two urgent challenges: the effects of climate change in forest fires and the rural depopulation suffered by localities throughout Castilla y León and Extremadura, which are the Autonomous Communities involved in it.
AGROFORes was born as an alternative for landscape management and conservation, an initiative that responds to the most urgent challenges of the climate change, rural depopulation and forest fires. AGROFORes emerged with a clear objective: to transform degraded land into multifunctional spaces that combine environmental conservation, economic activity and social well-being.
The AGROFORES project
Roberto Rubio, director of operations at Cesefor, points out “we are committed to integration of agroforestry systems that offer innovative and sustainable solutions. “This is a commitment to a comprehensive and sustainable rural development model that wants to be integrated into the annual plans for the prevention, surveillance and extinction of forest fires.”
AGROFORes aims to recover unproductive land; restore vulnerable ecosystems; reduce the risk of forest fires, promote biodiversity, and boost employment in rural areas. All of this will be carried out through active collaboration between agents in the territory, using sustainable management standards and innovative technologies.
It is planned that interventions will be carried out on nearly 300 hectares distributed in Castilla y León: Babia-Luna, Merindades, El Bierzo, Sierra de La Culebra and Nava de la Asunción; and Extremadura: Sierra de Gata and Las Villuercas. In each zone, degraded and reference areas have been identified, developing strategic actions that serve as a replicable model for the rest of the territory.
The project is supported by NextGenerationEU European funds, managed by the Biodiversity Foundation within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), and a total budget of €1,559,098.32.
AGROFORes Activities
Some of the main activities include:
- Identification and analysis of current and potential agroforestry systems to design adapted proposals.
- Reforestation and forestry management in more than 200 hectares, prioritizing areas affected by abandoned forest fires.
- Participation and training of local communities through field days, seminars and participatory processes.
- Promotion of group management through cooperatives and associations, to guarantee the continuity of actions.
- Evaluation and transfer of results to share our experiences and models with other territories.
AGROFORes is one project in which they provide their support and collaboration: the CESEFOR Foundation, the National Agri-Food Technology Center CTAEX, the University of León and the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León.