Workshop:The multifunctional nature of transhumance: Preservation and common development in Greece and Turkey (Θεσσαλονίκη, 16 Σεπτεμβρίου 2016)

Το Ινστιτούτο Κτηνιατρικών Ερευνών του ΕΛΓΟ Δήμητρα συνδιοργανώνει με το Δίκτυο Μετακινούμενων Κτηνοτρόφων Συνάντηση Εργασίας με θέμα "Ο πολυλειτουργικός ρόλος της μετακινούμενης κτηνοτροφίας: Διατήρηση και κοινή ανάπτυξη σε Ελλάδα και Τουρκία". Δείτε εδώ το σκεπτικό και τη λίστα των συμμετεχόντων.
 
The Veterinary Research Institute of the HAO "Demeter" co-organizes a Workshop entitled "The multifunctional nature of transhumance: Preservation and common development in Greece and Turkey" with the Network of Transhumant Farmers. For more information see here.
 
 
Workshop
The multifunctional nature of transhumance:
Preservation and common development in Greece and Turkey
Thessaloniki, Friday 16 September 2016, 10.00am
Venue: Veterinary Research Institute, Thermi, Thessaloniki
Rationale
Transhumance is a resource efficient livestock production system involving seasonally moving grazing animals to utilize pastures between varying ecological zones. The system is one of many customary practices developed by ancient Mediterranean societies to cope with the unpredictable and highly fluctuating climate. Having exhibited considerable resilience throughout the millennia, transhumance nowadays is not only a sustainable livestock production system, but also has significant environmental, climate change and socio-cultural dimensions. The present shift in consumer preferences towards quality, healthy and safe food products, awareness of animal welfare, genetic diversity and environmental issues has shed a new light on the transhumant production system. The acknowledgement of increasingly tight links between food and territory by the public, interest in culture and tradition, territorial development considerations and the inter-temporal support of the European Model of Agriculture constitute only but a few of the paradigms comprising the “big picture” in the primary sector. Despite its low recognition, transhumance is widespread in many European countries; in Greece there are more than 3,700 transhumant sheep and goat flocks, while in Turkey numbers have now decreased to less than 400 flocks. Although it exhibits a significant spatial diversity, it plays numerous roles which shape its multifunctionality i.e. the entire range of its environmental, social and economic functions. These outputs are externalities and their provision is highly dependent on market and policy contexts (Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), as well as the broader socioeconomic environment. Some of the specific elements of interest in the transhumant system include the following:
• The system is cost effective: minimum dependence on capital (low feed costs, low infrastructure requirements), use of family labour
• The socio-economic role of transhumance in the provision of employment and income thus maintaining rural populations in mountainous and rural areas, which would otherwise be abandoned
• The agricultural heritage of transhumance and the heterogeneity of its social contributions uphold significant cultural heritage
• The production and marketing of high quality products (functional food, territorial production) and the support of short supply chains linking territorial actors with farmers, which generate added value for stakeholders - but not always
• The environmental functions of transhumance, which are two-fold. First, flocks play an essential role in the management of natural rangelands, thus contributing to the protection of biodiversity and to the mitigation of the effects of climate change. Second, a significant part of transhumant farmers contribute to the protection of genetic diversity in the European continent by rearing autochthonous animal breeds.
The multifunctional character of pastoralism stems from its particularities in the use of resources (land, labour and capital), which all shape its unique character; changes in the use of resources entail alterations in the provision of goods and services from the sector. Within this context, the workshop will focus both on the supply and demand side for the multifunctional character of transhumance, fostering interdisciplinary approaches. On the one hand, the conditions under which the system provides services to society will be examined and on the other hand the role of these services as tools for sectoral development will be
assessed. Policy and market-driven interventions will be investigated in order to respond to the workshop objectives.
Main objectives
The main question that the workshop will seek to answer is 'How the particularities of transhumance and its various roles can be transformed to profitable economic activities supporting the viability of the system?'.
In particular, the workshop objectives are:
• To determine similarities and differences in the operation of the system in the two countries and to highlight the positive impact these similarities and differences can have across countries
• To propose infrastructure projects to support the system (basic housing in the summer and winter settlement areas, education and health services near the settlement locations etc)
• To detect opportunities for the sector such as preservation of existing and re-opening of former migration routes, establishment of Cooperative type market chains for value adding to their unique produce etc.
• To set up development priorities and social innovation opportunities
• Overall, to pinpoint political, social and regulatory adjustments necessary to formulate a favourable operational environment for transhumance
Programme
09.45 Registration
10.00 Opening
10.10 - 11.30 Brief working statements
11.30 - 12.00 Coffee break
12.00 - 13.45 Plenary Session – Brain storming
1. Environment/Climate change/Land uses
2. Production, manufacturing and innovation
3. Economy, rural development and culture
13.45 - 14.30 Light lunch (buffet at the venue)
14.30 - 15.00 Summary of the Session and Action Plan
15.00 Closing up
Co-organizers
• Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization
• Network of Transhumant Farmers, Greece
List of participants
1. Dr. Antonios Zdragas, Veterinary Research Institute (Dairy product quality)
2. Prof. Vasiliki Lagka, ATEI of Thessaloniki (Animal production system analysis)
3. Prof. Georgios Arsenos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Flock management)
4. Argyris Bairachtaris, Network of Transhumant Farmers (Transhumant farmer)
5. Ioannis Dekolis, Association of Transhumant Farmers of Epirus (Transhumant farmer)
6. Dr. Ioannis Drinis, Ministry of Culture (Intangible cultural heritage)
7. Dr. Loukia Ekateriniadou, Veterinary Research Institute (Disease eradication programs)
8. Dr. Athanasios Garsen, Institute for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (Genetic improvement - Autochthonous breeds)
9. Dr. Maria Karatassiou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Transhumance routes)
10.Dr. Stavriani Koutsou, ATEI of Thessaloniki (Social innovation, territorial development)
11.Dr. Sezen Ocak (Origin of animal production systems and conservation of cultural heritage)
12.Dr. Sinan Ogun, Red Rock (Rural development and system organization)
13.Dr. Thomas Papachristou, Forestry Research Institute (Rangeland management)
14.Dr. Athanasios Ragkos, ATEI of Thessaloniki (Multifunctionality)
15.Dr. Georgios Samouris, Veterinary Research Institute (Dairy product quality)
16.Dr. Alexandros Theodoridis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Livestock production economics)
17.Konstantinos Zacharis, Dairy owner in Chaliki, Thessaly (Quality dairy product marketing)
18.Konstantinos Zamanis (Transhumant farmer)