Start Date
End Date
Project Summary
Urban pastoralism in Romania is a resilient and adaptive practice in the frame of chaotic urban development. This nature-based solution fosters a productive and cultural green infrastructure in cities and their periphery. This practice has been adapted to various urban contexts resulting in diverse ways to manage land across the European Union.
Themes
Biogeoghraphic Region
Objective
Make use of the residual urban fringes for pastoral purposes, preservation of green spaces around and within cities, and exploration of sustainable ways to develop and manage urban green spaces.
Good Practice Description
The aggressive urbanisation of the last decades generated an important quantity of abandoned land in Romania, especially in the periphery of cities such as Bucharest and offered shepherds unexpected opportunities in times of uncertainty to extend their activity. The adaptation of this practice to various urban contexts has resulted in diverse ways of managing land across the European Union, with different approaches - from more traditional ones to combinations with contemporary activism. In the Balkans, the persistence of pastoral practice and its short and medium transhumance infrastructure is strongly related to both the strategy of avoiding state management and the tradition of alternative food networks. Quantitative research on this topic focused on the periphery of Bucharest, although some interviews, data analysis and visits were made also in the Parisian metropolitan area (France) and Wageningen (Netherlands).
Tools and Equipment
Resources needed include a herd of grazing animals such as sheep, goats, or cattle, along with access to patches of land suitable for grazing. Infrastructure like fencing and enclosures is necessary for containing and protecting livestock from urban hazards, supplemented by trained herding dogs. Adequate feed and water sources are essential for the well-being of the livestock. Additionally, establishing marketing and distribution channels and engaging with local communities and authorities are necessary for the success of urban pastoralism.
Personnel
Skills such as developing complex management plans for marketing and communicating on the activity, specialist in co-design the local actors’ inclusion in the project, and specialist in managing the connection to local food networks.
Problems and Threats Faced
The main challenges revolve around the dissemination of the “know-how” and accepting that the pastoral activity, which implies a way of life not compatible with current expectations of working conditions. Other challenges include uncertain land ownership and usage rights for grazing patches, negative perceptions of shepherding leading to low professional status and vulnerability to displacement, economic viability hindered by competition with large food distribution networks, and changing cultural patterns of food consumption reducing the value of pastoralist products. Integrating urban areas designated for extensive grazing, with both permanent and temporary usage rights, into city planning is crucial for addressing these issues.