CHANGING THE CHANGE - LIFE+campaign `Changing the change

 CHANGING THE CHANGE - LIFE+campaign
'Changing the change'. The Galician
agriculture and forest sector facing climate
change.
LIFE07 INF/E/000852
Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data R e a d m o r e Contact details:
Contact person: José RODRIGUEZ BLANCO
Tel: +34 981 530500
Email: xestion@unionsagrarias.org
Project description:
Background
The Galician countryside is suffering from the abandonment of agrarian activities
and rural depopulation. Such factors have led to a loss of biodiversity,
agroecosystems and genetic variability of autochthonous crops and livestock.
This loss is compounded by the increased incidence of fires, which devastated
almost 100 000 ha in 2006. The agro-forestry sector can play an important role in mitigating climate change
by creating carbon sinks and producing biofuels that reduce overall carbon
dioxide emissions. In Spain, however, the sector is struggling to implement the
different plans and strategies defined by the EU on climate change and the Kyoto
Protocol. A lack of information is available to farmers about how their activities
impact on climate change or how they could help adaptation and mitigation
processes.
Objectives
The main objective of the CHANGING THE CHANGE project was to provide
information to the Galician agro-forestry sector and the general public on the
problems of climate change and to promote their involvement in activities that
sustain adaptation and mitigation processes. The project also aimed to bring
about a shift of attitude in farmers towards sustainable management
alternatives. The use of renewable energies and biofuels, recycling, establishment
of energy efficiency measures, organic farming, use of climate adapted crops and
other environment and climate friendly measures would be promoted. The
project foresaw the organisation of 41 workshops to key stakeholders, the
attendance at relevant fairs, the design of awareness raising materials and
articles in the press, the establishment and monitoring of a series of indicators at
2000 farms and a personalised advisory office in each of the 37 Galician
counties. The project would first make an initial diagnosis with experts from the
universities, different administrations and the situation of farms. This diagnosis
would allow the impact of the project actions to be assessed. The transferability
of results was foreseen at a regional and international level. Specific awareness
raising campaigns aimed at academics, schools and the general public were also
foreseen.
Results
The CHANGING THE CHANGE project completed all planned activities with great
success. The workshops with farmers were useful and generated considerable
interest – around 1300 farmers attended these well-planned and well-publicised
events. Good feedback was obtained through questionnaires and voluntary
remarks. School activities generated pride among children in rural areas by allowing them
to see that their family's activities were valued and considered important. The
campaign raised awareness on climate change issues as well as emphasising the
value of farming activities as a means of combating rural depopulation and the
perception of farming as a second-class activity. More than 500 children were
directly targeted by this campaign. Attendance at two big fairs in Galicia helped promote the project to the general
public. More than 130 000 people attended these fairs.
Throughout the project, technicians at the 37 agrarian offices in Galicia acted as
environmental advisors. These technicians attended four-day training
workshops and were updated with relevant information through daily bulletins
issued by the central office of UPA. They informed farmers on new legislation
and possible subsidies to improve environmental standards in farms and
provided specific guidance on how to implement good practices for mitigation
and adaptation to climate change. Nearly 7000 requests for information were
recorded during the project.
In parallel to these activities, 2000 people took part in three surveys carried out
every six months. These surveys allowed the project to monitor the progress of
the adoption of good practices and verified the impact of the project: on farmers’
changing habits. The following results were reported: Increase in the use of biofuels;
Increase in the surface of solar panels installed;
Decrease in the consumption of water;
Increase of agricultural surface dedicated to agrofuels crops;
Decrease in the use of nitrogen fertilisers/Increase in the use of organic
fertilisers; Increase of carbon content of soils;
Increase of forest plantations.
Communication activities included the production of ‘Ecoguides’, brochures,
posters, stickers, conference materials and educational materials for schools.
The project received wide coverage in regional and local media.
The project team contacted main farmers unions in Spain (in all regions) and in
other European countries (Portugal, Italy and Poland) with a view to the transfer
of results. Exchange of information has proved fruitful and several regions in
Spain are now willing to replicate the experience in their regions (mainly the
Canary Islands, Valencia and Balearic Islands). Relationships formed among
technicians are long standing and will be a good technical asset in the future. A
direct collaboration result was the beneficiary’s participation in a new LIFE
project (LIFE 08 ENV/ES/000459 ECOREGA). The project received technical and scientific support through a panel of experts
made up of scientists from the University of Santiago and Lugo and technicians
from regional and national administrations. This panel validated activities and
documents produced by the project. Technical and scientific advice helped shape
two strategies, one for mitigation and another for adaptation to climate change,
that have set the framework for the rest of the activities designed in this project. Finally, the project has helped train technicians at the beneficiary’s central
offices and at the 37 county delegations. These technicians are in close and
regular contact with farmers, helping with continuous transfer of information to
the field. Climate change issues are now, as a enduring result of the project,
embedded in the day-to-day activity of technicians. Such contact will help
farmers adapt to a role as territory managers in the light of changes to CAP. The
project has achieved a shift in the attitude of the main technical advisors to
farmers. This will surely 'climate proof' the activities of the farmer's union and
that of its farmer's members.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report
(see "Read more" section). Top
Environmental issues addressed:
Themes
Information - Governance - Awareness raising - Information
Climate change Adaptation - Sectoral adaptation (industry-services)
Climate change Mitigation - Renewable energies
Industry-Production - Agriculture - Forestry
Land-use & Planning - Forest management
Keywords
agricultural method‚ environmental impact of agriculture‚ environmentally
responsible behaviour‚ organic farming‚ biodiversity‚ public awareness
campaign‚ rural area‚ climate change adaptation‚ climate change mitigation Natura 2000 sites
Not applicable
Top
Beneficiaries:
Coordinator
Type of organisation
Description
Partners
Unions Agrarias - UPA
Professional organisation
Unions Agrarias-UPA is a professional farm
organisation in the region of Galicia. Its
membership includes farming families,
workers, professionals and technicians from
the farming sector in general. The association
promotes farmers' interests and rural
development in Galicia. It is headquartered in
Santiago de Compostela. None Top
Administrative data:
Project reference
Duration
Total budget
EU contribution
Project location
LIFE07 INF/E/000852
01-JAN-2009 to 31-DEC -2010
533,771.00 €
266,885.00 €
Galicia(España)
Top
Read more:
Brochure
Brochure
Project web site
Publication: After-LIFE
Title: Campaña LIFE+ "Cambiar o cambio" - El
sector agroforestal gallego frente al cambio
climático No of pages: 25 Title: Project's leaflet (447KB) Editor: Unions
Agrarias UPA No of pages: 2 Project's website
Title: After-LIFE Communication Plan
Publication: After-LIFE
Communication Plan
Publication: After-LIFE
Communication Plan
Publication: Guidelines-Manual
Title: After-LIFE Communication Plan
Year: 2010 No of pages: 8 Title: After-LIFE Communication Plan
Year: 2010 No of pages: 8 Title: Ecoguía - El sector viticola gallego frente
al cambio climático (2 MB) No of pages: 40 Publication: Guidelines-Manual Title: Ecoguía - El sector hortícola gallego
frente al cambio climático (2 MB) No of
pages: 40 Publication: Guidelines-Manual Title: Ecoguía - El sector silvícola gallego frente
al cambio climático (2.5 MB) No of pages: 48 Publication: Guidelines-Manual Title: Ecoguía - El sector ganadero gallego
frente al cambio climático (2.7 MB) No of
pages: 52 Publication: Layman report
Title: Layman report Year: 2011 No of pages: 14 Publication: Layman report
Title: Informe Layman Year: 2011 No of
pages: 14 Publication: Pedagogical tool
Title: Didactic material (2.4 MB) No of pages: 46 Publication: Proceedings
Title: JORNADA “CAMBIAR O CAMBIO EL
SECTOR AGROFORESTAL GALLEGO FRENTE AL
CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO" Year: 2010 No of
pages: 44 Publication: Technical report
Title: Final Technical Report Year: 2011 No of
pages: 66 Slides Presentation
Title: "Identificacion de los GEI producidos por
el sector agroforestal" (1.33MB) Editor: Unions
Agrarias UPA No of pages: 21 Slides Presentation
Title: "Interrelacion y aportaciones del sector
agroforestal al Cambio Climatico" (1.13MB)
Editor: Unions Agrarias UPA No of pages: 13 Slides Presentation
Title: "Habitats y especies agroforestales mas
sensibles al Cambio Climatico" (2.45MB)
Editor: Unions Agrarias UPA No of pages: 27 Top
Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data R e a d m o r e