Operational Group: Wild seeds in the restoration of Mediterranean agroecosystems

Natural pastures are the primary resource for extensive livestock farming and the food base of the country's heritage of hardy breeds. Recently, their recognition has increased in such cross-cutting areas as the protection of the natural environment, biodiversity, the landscape, mitigation of the risks of climate warming, and, more generally, the generation of ecosystem services.

This is the conceptual framework that supports the proposal to create an Operational Group, with a proven capacity to respond to R&D needs related to the role of natural flora in relation to its use in enhancing and developing our Mediterranean agroecosystems. This aligns well with the EIA's calls for cooperation for the development of rural areas and justifies the objective of consolidating the intersectoral group we propose. Its R&D collaboration trajectories clearly document the achievement of tangible results in: innovation in forage flora and wild seeds, sustainable development, protection of native breeds, and environmental management.

All of this is achieved through interdisciplinary studies on our extensive pastoral systems; reports on the livestock receptivity of pastures in agrosystems, protected natural areas, and protected natural spaces; fire-preventive forestry alternatives: RAPCA [National Award 2012]; and increasingly in-demand training and social awareness-raising activities.