Key facts
- Europe is exploring the use of grazing animals, such as goats and sheep, to prevent wildfires by creating firebreaks.
- The European Commission officially endorses livestock grazing as a strategy for climate adaptation and wildfire prevention.
- Abandoned farmland overgrown with shrubs is identified as a major contributor to the severity of current wildfires.
- Projects like Catalonia's Fire Flocks integrate fire prevention with commercial farming, selling products with a 'noble cause' label.
- While endorsed, implementation and funding for grazing initiatives face challenges, with calls for dedicated financial support for shepherds.
- Experts argue that the focus should shift from fire suppression to landscape management through methods like livestock grazing.
Europe is increasingly turning to livestock, particularly goats and sheep, as a low-tech solution to combat escalating wildfires and restore landscapes, a strategy officially endorsed by the European Commission.
As abandoned farmland becomes overgrown with flammable shrubs, creating homogenous forests that burn easily, fire control experts and researchers are advocating for grazing animals to create natural firebreaks. This approach has shown success in restraining the spread of fires in various regions of Spain. The European space program's satellite observatory, Copernicus, has confirmed that the largest fires are occurring in large, connected forest and shrubland areas.
However, the economic viability of shepherding remains a significant hurdle, with many shepherds dependent on government subsidies. Experts like Jordi Vendrell of the Pau Costa Foundation emphasize the need to finance shepherds similarly to firefighters, recognizing their role in landscape management. Projects like Catalonia's Fire Flocks are attempting to blend fire prevention with commercial farming by selling cheese and yogurt with a special label indicating their contribution to fire safety.
The European Commission has acknowledged grazing as a method for farm animals to adapt to climate change, but critics argue that the EU's focus remains predominantly on fire suppression rather than systemic prevention. While the upcoming Common Agricultural Policy from 2028 aims to introduce a 'transition payment' for farmers, supporters feel more concrete implementation is needed.
Madrid plans to deploy livestock to graze 3,700 hectares for fire prevention, at a cost of €800,000, though this is a fraction of the 27,000 hectares already ravaged by fires in the region alone. While grazing initiatives are supported, experts like Joe McNorton caution that under severe conditions, factors like strong winds can still allow fires to spread across gaps. Urbano Fra Paleo stresses that policymakers often fail to grasp the importance of landscape management over solely focusing on fire response.