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Pastoreo en Red
Redeia launched in 2019 the program Pastoreo en Red, which is defined as “the use of extensive grazing livestock as a tool to control vegetation in safety roads of power lines in order to favour biodiversity, prevent forest fires and promote activities related to extensive grazing in rural areas”. It addresses global challenges and provides a response to the needs of the rural world, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, forest fires, depopulation, aging of rural populations and finally, the revalorisation of traditional trades.
Awards
Special mention in the Good Practice Award 2021 of the Renewables Grid Initiative platform for being a sustainable solution with a positive social and environmental impact.
In other hand, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has evaluated the Pastoreo en Red program according to its global standard. It has determined that it is a robust, sustainable, and scalable project that safeguards both people and the planet, considering it a Nature-based Solution (NbS).
Pastoreo en Red in Calahorra, La Rioja
It began as a pilot project in Calahorra, La Rioja, in collaboration with AgroVidar (a company specialized in sustainable agri-environmental solutions), the Calahorra City Council, and the Department of Sustainability and Ecological Transition of La Rioja.
The project is currently being replicated in Aragon, Asturias, Catalonia, Castile and Leon and Galicia.
Objectives
The objectives of this pilot scheme, which is pioneer in Spain, are as follows:
- To control the growth of vegetation in the safety road located under the installation through the grazing of sheep.
- To contribute to improving the natural capital of the surrounding facilities by helping to maintain soil fertility and biodiversity preservation.
- To contribute to generating new sustainable employment, settling populations, and facilitating generational change.
- To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from maintenance activities.
- To incorporate applied knowledge and technology through GPS collars into extensive livestock management.
Results
The results of the project have been as follows:
- It is an effective tool for sustainable vegetation control in the safety roads of power lines.
- It prevents forest fires by eliminating fire-prone vegetation.
- It enhances soil fertility and biodiversity rates by promoting the development of herbaceous substrates and the presence of floral species.
- It favours the presence of pollinating insects.
- It increases the resilience of the territory.
“Guía práctica de Pastoreo en RED” and “Guía para la evaluación de los servicios de los ecosistemas”
Pilot subject matter of study at Universidad de Alcalá
Along with Universidad de Alcalá, we developed the project “Evaluation of ecosystem services arising from vegetation management in the electricity transmission network through grazing” and its practical application to the initiative “Pastoreo enRED in La Rioja”. The results have shown that the use of livestock in the maintenance of the electrical energy transmission network enhances the services of the regulatory, cultural and supply ecosystems and facilitates biodiversity and the well-being of the society.
Generational Replacement
Likewise, in order to ensure the availability of generational replacement with the necessary knowledge to facilitate the continuity of the good herd management in extensive livestock farming and the conservation of the landscapes of our villages, Red Eléctrica has worked with the Asociación Campo Adentro in the 2020 edition of the Escuela de Pastores de Madrid (School of Shepherds of Madrid.) This school is supported by the State Federation of Shepherds' Associations and the town hall of El Boalo-Cerceda and Mataelpino (Madrid).
50 students out of 130 applications received were selected to take the theoretical module; 30 of those carried out field practices.