Contribución al estudio de la ganadería ecológica en Extremadurasituación actual y perspectivas

Resumen

The Dehesa is classified as one of the most singular agroforestry systems in the European Union. In the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula it spreads over an area of approximately 6.7 million hectares. In addition to livestock farming production, these systems also contribute environmental, cultural and aesthetical value to the region and they are necessary for the development and settlement of the rural population. The main business activity that is developed in this ecosystem is extensive livestock farming of cattle, sheep and Iberian pigs with low stocking density and few inputs. The sustainable management of these farms is essential in order to ensure the continuity and preservation of their ecosystems, as well as the improvement of their profitability. In spite of extensive livestock farming production systems being a key element in the sustainability of the Spanish and European Union ecosystems, they are inadequately classified under the same umbrella as generic livestock farming and are described as one of the main reasons for the existing environmental issues. In this regard, it is necessary to clearly differentiate the various livestock farming production systems and promote those that are most sustainable for the natural medium. Given the need of sustainable livestock farming systems, the implementation of organic livestock production in dehesas can provide interesting benefits. This may seem an apparently easy process from the point of view of compliance to the standards. However, such conversion cannot be limited to the strict compliance of the laws regulating organic production, but it also must promote the development of other business practices and strategies to ensure success. This doctoral thesis has been developed within the above context by engaging into a deep analysis of the organic livestock farming sector’s current situation in the southwest of Spain and the potential conversion of dehesa livestock farming towards organic production models. For this purpose, participative research methodological frameworks, such as the Delphi method and the focus groups, have been used. But also the case study of several organic farms has been developed by means of their economic and environmental analysis with a focus on financial profitability, carbon footprint, carbon sequestration and economic-environmental balance.