Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

En ejecución

Location:

Tarragona, Lleida, Barcelona, Girona (Catalonia), Cuenca (Castile-La Mancha), Soria, Burgos (Castile and Leon), Ourense (Galicia), Seville (Andalusia), Navarra (Navarre).

Geographic scope:

España

Execution date:

2024

Duration:

09/02/2024 - 31/12/2025

Typology:

Development and diversification of forestry uses and harvests

Total budget:

2,038,750.00 euros

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

1,936,812.50 euros (95%)

The valorization of forest foods in rural environments is a key tool to generate economy and respond to the demographic challenge. If designed and implemented from an ecological perspective, it can improve the conservation status of biodiversity and increase the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change, especially in relation to large fires. One of the main difficulties for the sustainable management of forests is their lack of economic viability and the consequent dependence on public resources. No less important is the lack of local value chains that would allow the valorization of forest products, thus generating a local forest-based economy. It is from this context that tree and shrub species of forest character have been identified which, on the one hand, are abundant in the Spanish forest systems most threatened by climate change, and, on the other hand, produce edible fruits with a high organoleptic and nutritional interest but which are currently neither harvested nor marketed.

It will demonstrate how it is possible to generate local economy and at the same time promote biodiversity and the resilience of forest systems through the harvesting and valorization of 6 selected forest species. For each species, the key elements to be taken into account will be identified, from forest management to food processing and marketing. The knowledge generated will be transferred to key actors for the replicability of the model. This project is the seed from which a new paradigm of forest management and harvesting will germinate, called to transform biodiversity conservation and the forest economy at the state level.

Production of at least 60 new gastronomic products from forest fruits of 5 species (arbutus cherries, pineapples, pine cones, arañones, acorns and cinnabar):

• Pilot testing of forest management models in 14 pilot plots in Catalonia with land stewardship agreements, on 10 ha each (140 ha in total), for fruit extraction (7000 kg extracted) and biomass extraction (900 tn), with development of management models and technical forest plans and (imprecise) objectives of habitat and species improvement and fire resilience.
• Gastronomic valorization of the products by identifying 100 of them, developing market studies, pilot marketing, feasibility and transfer of results (infographics, webinars and demonstrative visits), audiovisual content and practical guide to replicate the project.

• Performance of communicative activities.
• Definition of management models for each forest environment.
• Implementation and evaluation of the management models as a pilot test.
• Gastronomic valorization of forest food products.
• Market analysis, production and pilot marketing.
• Knowledge transfer to key stakeholders for replicability.
• Coordination and exchange of internal knowledge.