National Forest Management Plan with Integrated Livestock, Argentina

MONACO M.; DANIELE G.; NAVALL M.; MANGHI E.; CABELLO M.J.; PERI P.L.

Evora

Congreso; World Congress Silvopastoral Systems; 2016

Silvopastoral World Congress

Many challenges and opportunities arise for scientific institutions, rural extension agencies and public policies aiming to promote more sustainable and diversified land use systems in native forest areas. The problems associated with forest product harvesting, processing and marketing, together with the strategy of producing added-value wood and animal products also are key factors for silvopastoral system development. In this context, in Argentina, National Law No. 26,331 for the Environmental Protection of Native Forests promotes the conservation of indigenous forests through land planning, sustainable management and tightening the regulations associated with land-use change. This requires all the provinces to develop a Land Use Planning Process (LUPP) with respect to native forests in a participatory fashion. Native forests have been classified according to three conservation categories (colors in maps) determined based on a number of technical and social criteria: Red (high conservation value forests for ancestral uses, gathering of non-timber forest products, scientific research, ?respectful? tourism, conservation plans, ecological restoration), Yellow (medium conservation value forests for sustainable productive activities and tourism under the guidelines of management and conservation plans) and Green (low conservation value forest where land-use change is allowed). The enforcement authority of this law is the Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Federal Council on the Environment ? COFEMA (Argentina?s federal governmental institution) coordinates the development of the environmental policies between provinces. In the last few years (2010-2014 period), in the Yellow category, more than 70% of the budget has been destined to silvopastoral system plans in native forest (1,423,194 ha) that includes forestry inventories, silvicultural practices, adjustment of stocking rates and fencing for strategic separation in homogenous areas. Furthermore, articulation of public policies for silvopastoral development has been developed in a joint Institutional Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (SAyDS), and the National Agricultural Institute (INTA). This general agreement named ?National Forest Management with Integrated Livestock (MBGI)? aims mainly to: (i) contribute sustainable use of native forests as a tool of development and according to sustainability criteria and minimum standards established by Law No. 26,331, (ii) strength the provinces by promoting capacity building for implementing MBGI plans, and (ii) establish a monitoring system. To expand silvopastoral land use systems and farmer adoption, a multi-agency, interdisciplinary and participatory strategy is required.