Fundación Monte Mediterráneo pretends with its project to revive and renew the middle age tradition of the transhumance so that in rural areas new perspectives can arise.
Livestock breeding, again and again, brings up special and interesting phenomena. An element which is as deeply and firmly rooted in Spanish culture as the transhumance is going through a revival process due to Fundación Monte Mediterráneo. From its domicile in Santa Olalla del Cala, in the Sierra of Huelva, the foundation coordinates the transhumance and pretends to throw new light on this middle age tradition. Also this year, as a few days ago, the exciting trip from the Southern part of the peninsula to the mountain pastures in the North has started. Thousands of sheep head towards mountain pasture in Castilla y León – to be exact to the Palencia and León provinces - where thousands of Andalusian sheep can enjoy grazing in Castilian mountains over the Summer until mid-October – depending on the weather. More than 4.000 sheep from Extremadura and Andalusia have initiated their trip in the project organized by ea group, Comercial Ovinos in cooperation with Fundación Monte Mediterráneo. Depending on if they travel with their owner or a being received by shepherds hired in the North to herd them.
Once they arrive at their destiny, they can share the mountain pasture with herds of other sheep keepers and so optimize costs. Real experts in sheep herding and natives to the area herd the sheep coming form Andalusian fields which allows a precious process of exchanging knowledge and experiences: a cultural treasure. That is exactly what Fundación Monte Mediterráneo aspires to since in their opinion “the transhumance, the migration of the sheep to the mountains of León and Palencia – besides of being a rational and sustainable way to use natural resources for millennia – contains the secret of biodiversity”.
Considering the decrease of this form of animal husbandry threatened to disappear, the Foundation suggest a reconquest and revival of the transhumance so that all natural processes and implicated species con profit from it.
Another important partner in the project is Ecovalia whose job consist in certifying the mountain pastures as organic allowing to put into value the added and increase of value.
Even the possibility to commercialize organic merino wool and merino wool from transhumance sheep is part of the project.
The advantages of this form of animal husbandry are wide-ranging: the meadows in the South rest during the Summer and are better prepared for the arriving fall and also the animals health and welfare improves as research has proved to be true. – even the wool quality improves!
As a matter of fact, the labor of the people in the South, where the Summer heat is almost unbearable, is being reduced and at the same time, the mountain pasture of Palencia and León are being cleaned from shrub and bushes which is an active measure to mitigate the danger of erosion and bushfires.
Another irrevocable goal is to dignify the profession of the shepherd – concepts for professional training and exchange of experiences have been designed already in order to give new perspectives and possibilities to the young generation in rural areas and make this profession interesting and attractive.
Finally “transhumance” means that sheep “continue with their natural and productive job in the North eating fresh grass, fertilize the soil, and keep the meadows healthy”. They form part of the natural pyramid where also birds of prey and scavengers have their function.
Fundación Monte Mediterráneo bilds a new – as they say – renovated model of transhumance. It “matches the animal husbandry with the protection of endangered species since they depend in a great amount on the extensive animal husbandry. So, in exchange, the animal husbandry can add it to its value and develop sustainable and long term formulas where both will benefit: the production of lambs and wool helps produces at the same time mountain cocks and bears which finally is a benefit for the whole society”.
