Shepherd Net

ESN member Athanasios Ragkos is working with the Agricultural Economics Research Institute of ELGO-DIMITRA, PASTINNOVA and the Network of Transhumant Farmers to host a workshop on November 10, 2023 that discusses the importance of transhumance as a cultural heritage. The meeting will take place over Zoom and in person at the Meeting Hall of the Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems Institute in Athens, Greece with the cooperation of the Directorate of Modern Cultural and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. 

In 2017, transhumant livestock farming received an inscription from the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This came as a result of the joint effort between Greece, Austria and Italy, and an extended version of the inscription was jointly submitted by 10 countries in 2022. In light of this fellowship, the workshop will discuss the importance of transhumance across the Mediterranean and the distinct impact it has had in various countries, including Greece, Italy and Lebanon.

Transhumance is the practice of moving flocks from one location to another, typically to benefit from lush mountain vegetation in summer months and mild lowland conditions in winter months. Transhumant peoples have developed specific vernacular skills in relation to the stewardship of their livestock, many of which relate to land use, labour, and management of capital. It is important to develop a deeper understanding of these skills in order to establish means of livestock raising and management that are more sustainable than the modern methods we use today. 

The workshop will explore themes and ideas related to Mediterranean transhumance through a series of panels led by a variety of scientists and practitioners. Their studies and experiences will encourage attendees to think about transhumance, pastoralism, and shepherding in an innovative new way, exploring interdisciplinary applications of the lessons these cultures have to teach. Please check out the agenda here.
For more information about Mediterranean transhumance and the workshop, please visit PASTINNOVA’s website here.

The European Shepherds Network (ESN) calls upon your support in aiding the ongoing humanity crisis facing the pastoralist Massai people in Tanzania. For generations, the Maasai have safeguarded the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania, nurturing its wildlife and biodiversity. However, their ancestral lands are currently under threat. Conservation projects, tourism, and trophy-hunting schemes have forced the Maasai out, violating their human and constitutional rights. Shockingly, even conservation NGOs like Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and European funding have played a part in this injustice.

The Tanzanian government’s relentless and brutal campaign against the Maasai continues. Tens of thousands of members have suffered forced evictions and violence looms large. Vital social services, including healthcare, are being withheld to drive the Maasai away. 

European governments, EU institutions, and NGOs must take action! With the hope of securing continued respect and support, ensuring the promotion of their human rights, and denouncing the financing of the Tanzanian government’s illegal atrocities, the Maasai representatives are currently embarking on a European tour through Germany, Austria and Brussels to share stories and raise the alarm. 

It’s time to change the flawed tourism and conservation model that separates nature protection from human settlement. Indigenous peoples worldwide face eviction in the name of conservation, disrupting their ways of living and creating imbalance in the ecosystem, which, studies show, thrive under the continued tenure of indigenous groups. WAMIP representatives demand that EU member states and European institutions stop funding projects that violate human rights. We also call for a guarantee that international partnerships prioritize land governance and human rights.

By raising awareness and seeking international support, we at ESN hope to aid the ending of these forced evictions and human rights abuses against the Maasai in Tanzania. We aim to dispel the misconception that these traditional ways of life harm the environment when, on the contrary, indigenous and migratory groups have long shaped and protected nature and biodiversity in their respective lands. Freedom, and access to move within their own lands must be fought for, and maintained.

Join us in our fight for justice and the preservation of our culture and environment. Together, we can make a difference!

ESN representatives Olivier Maurin, Anaelle Sorignet and ESN secretariat Devon Miller take part in Brussels from today until Saturday in an important 3 days working meeting with the partners of the Food Sovereignity alliance of Social Movements supported by COACH project. Along by many important partners in all over Europe, European Coordination Via Campesina as the representative of the small-scale farmers and agricultural and land workers, ESN as voice for pastoralist organisations at continental level and URGENCI and FIAN , which are at the meeting as the main civil society organisations working for another farming model, and a living countryside.

These allies , together with others from Europe and Central Asia are meeting to define a working plan for the Nyéléni Europe and Central Asia Food Sovereignty Movement. This includes actions regarding the IYRP 2026, and others towards the Global Nyeleni Gathering which will take place in India in 2025.

The meeting is supported by the COACH project, and the aims are to engage with relevant policymakers to present main policy demands and their rationale, to reflect collectively about next steps and areas for future collaboration beyond the project and to harvest ideas and inspiration to enrich the COACH Roadmap for the future of collaborative agri-food chains.
Thank you Olivier for continuing to fight for the rights and visibility of pastoralists rights to territorial governance and food sovereignty and strengthen pastoralists struggle in alliance with other constituencies.

At the end of February, French breeders, shepherds, technicians and elected representatives convened in Paris for the International Agricultural Show to reflect on a national action plan to raise awareness of pastoralism and transhumance practices.

The annual agricultural show and trade fair has been a meeting place for all key figures in the agricultural world for nearly a century.

The meeting began with the projection of a short film exhibiting the diversity of transhumance practices in different regions of France, followed by a collective discussion on the best course of action to secure widespread media coverage. Co-chair of the European Regional IYRP Support Group (RISG) Olivier Maurin shared his suggestions for reaching both the European and international level.

As French transhumance will soon be listed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026 is near, it is imperative to highlight these ancestral practices that remain essential to their territories.

This report warns that the dominant picture of livestock’s impacts on climate change has been distorted by faulty assumptions that focus on intensive, industrial farming in rich countries. Millions of people worldwide who depend on extensive livestock production, with relatively lower climate impacts, are being ignored by debates on the future of food.

A launch event to discuss the report will be held on 27 September. See below for details.

The report identifies ten flaws in the way that livestock’s climate impacts have been assessed, and suggests how pastoralists could be better included in future debates about food and the climate.

The report is published by a collaboration between ESN and PASTRES programme and other collaborating organisations

From 9 to 12 September 2021, the Shepherds’ Meeting: Resistance and Future took place in Sotres, Cabrales, Picos de Europa, Spain. A moment of mutual recognition between shepherds and extensive livestock farmers from all over the country and Europe to share current problems, to think about ways of support and action for the future, and to celebrate pastoralist cultures. More than 70 people participated in the many activities planned: talks, round tables, visits to local farms, meals, music, etc., in which the link between pastoralism and issues such as food sovereignty or the management of protected natural areas were discussed, alternatives and innovative projects within the extensive livestock farming sector were presented, and new forms of pastoralism and their future were debated.
More information at: www.pastoresenresistencia.org

Olivier is CORAM vicepresident and a dairy sheep breeder, dairy maker and transhumant in the Pyrenees. He also has some local breeds pigs in a pastoral system and some beef cows too. Thank you Olivier for stepping up for this role!

After the meeting of the regional support group in Europe to campaign and prepare for the International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026. The group will be coordinated by a core group with people from both pastoralist and pastoralist-support organisations.
The Mongolian Government’s proposal for an IYRP has already been endorsed by the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in October 2020 and the FAO Council in early December 2020. The IYRP campaign seeks to generate further support for the proposal when it is discussed during the FAO Conference in mid-2021 and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2021.
Worldwide, there are currently ten Regional IYRP Support Groups (RISGs) that want to increase the number of national governments and organisations that support the Mongolian Government’s proposal or even co-sponsor it. The RISGs will raise awareness in their countries and regions about the importance of pastoralism and rangelands for the economy, society, culture and environment. They will work with the IYRP International Support Group (ISG), the Mongolian Government and the other global supporters to plan and implement informational and promotional activities before, during and after the IYRP in 2026.
The RISG in Europe – like the other RISGs – is also preparing for several sessions during the Joint International Grassland and Rangeland Congress (IGC/IRC) in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2021, when overviews of the state of pastoralism and rangelands in different regions will be presented and regional IYRP activities will be planned in more detail.

The PKH is a project by FAO tobring pastoralists and international actors together to integrate pastoralist concerns into international policy dialogue. It serves both as a repository of relevant documents on pastoralism and pastoral people’s livelihoods, and as a neutral forum for exchange and alliance building among pastoralists and stakeholders.At this meeting there will be representatives from CORAM – France, APIA – Italy, CampoAdentro – Spain . The aim is to jointly with WAMIP decide on the direction of the Hub, to coordinate activities and to ensure policy incidence by strategizing on how to position pastoralist issues in global, regional and national fora. Main aim is to assess the functioning of this project during the period 2014-2019 and to suggest improvements to ensure pastoralist voices are taken into account at FAO policies. 

A note from the 4th European Pastoralists Assembly – Oloron St Marie, France 15th September 2018

For 4 days,  pastoralists from 12 countries all around Europe have met at the core of the French Pyrenees, to celebrate our 4th Assembly of the ESN, hosted by CORAM ( Le Collectif des Races locales de Massif) and with support of FAO

We examined the challenges we are facing , and reassured ourselves on the important contributions we make for the society and the environment.

Many of the principles of the Koblenz Declaration we wrote in 2015 are still valid.

The organizations gathered in Oloron committed to strengthening our network as a valid instrument of cooperation amongst the diversity of pastoralist cultures.

An action plan has been defined with the goals of :

– To redefine ESN objectives and vision and the strategy for their achievement, gathering different pastoralist leaders views.

– To reinforce internal and external communication, and to gather resources for the continuity of the coordination tasks,  now within a recently constituted international technical working group.

– To structure the network via the definition of country coordination and representations.

A more extended text is in this link , in French : Déclaration du Réseau Européen des Berger

4ème Assemblée des Pastoralistes Européens

Oloron St Marie, France 15 juin 2018

Pendant 4 jours, des pasteurs de 12 pays de toute l’Europe se sont réunis au cœur des Pyrénées françaises pour célébrer notre 4ème Assemblée de l’ESN, organisée par CORAM (Le Collectif des Courses locales de Massif) et avec le soutien de la FAO.

Nous avons examiné les défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés et nous sommes rassurés sur les contributions importantes que nous apportons à la société et à l’environnement

Bon nombre des principes de la déclaration de Coblence que nous avons rédigés en 2015 sont toujours valables.

Les organisations réunies à Oloron se sont engagées à renforcer notre réseau en tant qu’instrument de coopération valable parmi la diversité des cultures pastorales.

Un plan d’action a été défini dans le but de:

– Redéfinir les objectifs et la vision de l’ESN et la stratégie pour leur réalisation, en rassemblant les points de vue de différents leaders pastoraux.

– Renforcer la communication interne et externe et rassembler des ressources pour la continuité des tâches de coordination, désormais au sein d’un groupe de travail technique international récemment constitué.

– Structurer le réseau via la définition de la coordination et des représentations par pays.

——-

IV Asamblea de Pastores Europeos

Oloron St Marie, Francia, 15 de junio de 2018

Durante 4 días, pastores de 12 países de toda Europa se reunieron en el corazón de los Pirineos franceses para celebrar nuestra 4ª Asamblea de ESN, organizada por CORAM (Collectif des Races Locales de Massif) y con el apoyo de la FAO.

Hemos examinado los desafíos que enfrentamos y estamos seguros de las importantes contribuciones que hacemos a la sociedad y el medio ambiente.

Muchos de los principios de la Declaración de Coblenza que redactamos en 2015 siguen siendo válidos.

Las organizaciones en Oloron se comprometen a fortalecer nuestra red como un valioso instrumento de cooperación entre la diversidad de culturas pastorales.

Un plan de acción ha sido definido para:

– Redefinir los objetivos y la visión del ESN y la estrategia para su realización, reuniendo los puntos de vista de los diferentes líderes pastorales.

– Fortalecer la comunicación interna y externa y agrupar los recursos para la continuidad de las tareas de coordinación, ahora dentro de un grupo de trabajo técnico internacional recién formado.

– Estructurar la red a través de la definición de coordinación y representaciones de países.

——

4. Versammlung der europäischen Pastoren

Oloron St. Marie, Frankreich 15. Juni 2018

Vier Tage lang versammelten sich Pastoren aus 12 Ländern aus ganz Europa im Herzen der französischen Pyrenäen, um unsere 4. ESN-Versammlung zu feiern, die von CORAM (Collectif des Races Locales de Massif) und mit Unterstützung der FAO organisiert wurde.

Wir haben die Herausforderungen, vor denen wir stehen, geprüft und sind überzeugt, dass wir einen wichtigen Beitrag für die Gesellschaft und die Umwelt leisten.

Viele der Prinzipien der Koblenzer Erklärung, die wir 2015 formuliert haben, sind weiterhin gültig.

Die Organisationen in Oloron sind entschlossen, unser Netzwerk als ein wertvolles Instrument der Zusammenarbeit in der Vielfalt der pastoralen Kulturen zu stärken.

Ein Aktionsplan wurde definiert, um:

– Definieren Sie die Ziele und die Vision des ESN und die Strategie für ihre Umsetzung neu, indem Sie die Standpunkte verschiedener pastoraler Leiter zusammenführen.

– Stärkung der internen und externen Kommunikation und Bündelung von Ressourcen für die Kontinuität der Koordinierungsaufgaben, jetzt in einer neu gebildeten internationalen technischen Arbeitsgruppe.

– Strukturieren Sie das Netzwerk durch die Definition von Koordination und Ländervertretungen.

Read the statement here :

We, the undersigned organisations, believe that the European food and farming system is broken: that it is working for the interests of a few to the detriment of the majority of people, farmers, and the planet.

Europe’s food and farming system directly contributes to a wasteful use of finite global resources and damages the environment by contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss, depletion of fisheries, deforestation, soil erosion, water scarcity, as well as water and air pollution. Factory-style farming – largely dependent on imports and a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance – has been promoted at the expense of viable incomes for farmers and jobs in rural areas in Europe, as well as human rights, decent work, and livelihoods in developing countries. Farmers are facing a flawed choice between bankruptcy and further intensification. Farmers practising credible alternatives like organic and agro-ecological agriculture remain on the fringes in favour of business as usual. At the same time, high levels of undernourishment, the rapid rise in obesity and unhealthy diets are among the main causes of death and disease both in Europe and worldwide.

The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has contributed to this broken food and farming system through the promotion of agro-industrial farming methods and global commodity chains. In order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement, the EU must carry out a radical reform of the CAP and related policies. A fairer, more sustainable and resilient system is urgently needed. The undersigned organisations call for a major transformation of Europe’s food and farming system on the basis of the following principles:

Fair and diverse food and farming economies: ensure a fair income and decent work conditions for farmers and farm workers; facilitate access to farmland for sustainable peasant farming; encourage short supply chains and sustainable public procurement policies; grant fair access to high quality products for all consumers; prevent negative impacts on people’s right to food and on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the global south.

Healthy environment and a food and farming system that respects animal welfare: ensure the end of harmful     subsidies; reward and incentivise the delivery of positive environmental and social outcomes; restore and prevent further loss of biodiversity; encourage conservation and active use of genetic diversity; ensure agricultural production is free from synthetic chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers that harm the environment; prevent and minimise food waste throughout the food chain; halt food and feed imports linked to deforestation; ensure that animal health and welfare are effectively respected; replace the current industrial livestock system with extensive alternatives where animals are not treated as mere commodities and the balance between livestock and land capacity is ensured, while the overuse of antibiotics prevented; radically reduce emissions from farming and ensure a transition towards a resilient food and farming system.

Support for citizens’ health and well-being: ensure our food and farming system fosters healthy, nutritious, seasonal, local, culturally appropriate and affordable diets; encourage lower levels of animal product consumption; raise citizens’ awareness of the impacts of consumption on their own health, on farmers, animals and the environment; prevent negative impacts of agricultural methods on the health of farmers, farm workers and rural populations.

A publicly accountable food system with participatory governance, citizens’ empowerment and democracy:  involve citizens in transparent decision making processes; prevent corporate capture of decision making; empower local communities to lead the transformation.

We are committed to achieving a real transition by working in partnership with farmers, citizens and policy-makers. Therefore, we urge the European institutions and national policymakers to rethink the role and direction of European agriculture policies and use the principles presented above as a basis for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy reform process.

ESN is member of the Coordination Committee that is organising next Nyeleni Europe Conference. From the 26th to 30th of October, hundreds of people from the entire Europe and Central Asia will meet in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, for the second Forum of the Nyéléni European Movement for Food Sovereignty!For 5 days, farmers, fishers, pastoralists, indigenous people, consumers, trade unions, environmental/justice/solidarity/human rights organizations, community-based food movements, journalists, researchers from more than 42 countries will bring existing food sovereignty initiatives together, sharing and connecting experiences and planning a pan-European strategy and plan for future food and agriculture.

Join !   more information at www.nyelenieurope.net

The European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP) will host its annual Conference in Corofin (County Clare, Ireland) on 22-24 October 2015. The speakers will be farmers and specialists coming from diverse High Nature Value landscapes across Europe. The event will also be a gathering of EFNCP members.

Details, programme and booking form: http://efncp.org/events/seminars-others/efncp-conference-ireland2015/.

Two weeks ago at the European Pastoralists Assembly organized by ESN in Koblenz, Germany, more than 50 pastoralists from 17 countries signed a common declaration, entitled the “Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein Declaration”.

Our members are actively circulating this statement within their region and networks, but please help us support the demands of European pastoralists by downloading and sharing the declaration!

Read here
Download in PDF (in English)

Additional languages:
Download in Spanish
Download in German
Download in French
Download in Greek
Download in Italian

From 26 to 28 June, more than 50 shepherds from 17 European countries have met at the European Pastoralists Assembly organized by ESN in Koblenz, Germany to share the problems they are facing, discuss solutions and agree on further actions to be developed by European Shepherds Network.

The successful meeting resulted in a common declaration signed by participating delegations. We will be posting the statement and further materials about the outcomes of this important event very soon.  In the meanwhile, here are a few pictures of united pastoralists.