The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA), has held the meeting of the Advisory Council of the Land Stewardship Platform, the advisory body of this initiative, which aims to promote the development of land stewardship throughout the Spanish State as a tool for the conservation of natural heritage and which is a meeting place for all the networks and stewardship entities in the country. The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Biodiversity Foundation, was attended by the director of the Biodiversity Foundation, Sonia Castañeda, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment and agents related to land stewardship, such as land stewardship networks, hunting societies and associations linked to the rural environment.

During the meeting, the land stewardship actions promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation through the call for grants were also presented; the Beaches, Rivers, Volunteering and Land Stewardship program; and the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie and ECOSAFIMED projects, framed in the European ENPI Mediterranean Basin Programme.

During this meeting, the different units of the Administration, custodial entities and the agricultural, livestock and hunting sectors have expressed needs and suggestions in relation to the actions of the Platform.

Likewise, the results of the third inventory of Land Stewardship Initiatives of the Spanish State, prepared by the Land Stewardship Platform of the Biodiversity Foundation and which contains the compilation of all the land stewardship initiatives carried out in Spain in 2013, have been presented.

According to these data, the total area dedicated to land stewardship in Spain reached 346,000 hectares in 2013, which represents an increase of 18% compared to the figures for 2010, when the second inventory was published.

The total number of custody entities amounts to 214, compared to 130 in 2010, which represents a growth of 65%. The number of custody agreements has increased by 14% with a total of 2,027 agreements.

Advisory Council of the Land Stewardship Platform

The Advisory Council of the Land Stewardship Platform of the Biodiversity Foundation is a body of collaboration and co-participation between the Land Stewardship Platform and the land stewardship movement of the Spanish State.

It is made up of the Biodiversity Foundation, the stewardship entities and networks, the Forum of Land Stewardship Networks and Entities, representatives of different public administrations and other agents related to land stewardship, such as landowners’ associations, agricultural and livestock unions and hunting societies.