First stakeholder workshop to discuss impacts of climate change on pastoral activities at Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso
On February, 20th 2019, in Ivrea (Italy), the LIFE PASTORALP project organized a participatory workshop about adaptation strategies of pastoral systems to climate change in the Gran Paradiso National Park, following the workshop in Gap two weeks earlier for the Ecrins National Park (France).
The main objective was to identify the key factors influencing local pastoral systems, in order to generate innovative ideas, thanks to the participation of about thirty stakeholders (staff from protected areas and from conservation and farming organizations, farmer’s representatives, etc.) and researchers.
The first outputs from modelling simulation were showed: i.e. the projected climate changes under the IPCC scenarios and their impacts on snow cover, grass quality and growth, etc. The results activated discussions on the economic and social issues, particularly regarding the evolution of mountain farming: what could be the future of mountain grazing systems, in a European and globalized context?
Discussions notably focused on the necessity of a legal framework in order to face the advent of a new European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and on the changes to pastoralism practices considering the need for more sustainability, and the conflict between land management of pastures and pastoralism.
The discussion was fruitful: all participants shared their local knowledge, in regard to adaptation strategies to climate change, and their visions of the future
