The LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne project

Having previously featured articles on LIFE Terra Musica, the French Biodiversity Agency, and La Nat'mobile, the travelling museum run by the Syndicat mixte des gorges du Gardon, the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne project – an overview of which follows – rounds off our series on natural environments.

From biodiversity conservation to climate challenges

Ranging from the restoration of natural habitats to the strengthening of the network of protected sites and support for the agroecological transition of farms… the project spans several complementary areas.

‘Through this project, CEN Occitanie, Ana–Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Ariège and the Federation of CENs are securing substantial resources to strengthen and manage the network of protected natural sites—the very core of the CENs’ work—across the entire Occitan region. This means that more than 25,000 hectares and 300 sites will benefit directly or indirectly from conservation measures for species or habitats at risk, to which will be added more than 2,700 hectares of new sites, acquired or covered by agreements during the project,’ explains the project coordinator, Mélanie Némoz.

‘Given that agricultural areas account for more than half of the region’s total land area… it would be unrealistic to claim we can preserve biodiversity without addressing this issue,’ she continues.

Key players in the agroecological transition

Farmers, growers and other stakeholders working towards the agroecological transition are supported by ‘competent and complementary partners such as Solagro (which offers a unique approach in which project support (studies and project management assistance), foresight, training and research and development feed into and enrich one another) and the Terre de Liens Midi-Pyrénées foundation (which, in the region, has 2,000 ha of preserved land, 39 farms and 80 Terre de Liens farmers, as well as 200 prospective farmers and those looking to retire, and 2,000 committed citizens) and the National Botanical Conservatory of the Pyrenees and Midi-Pyrénées, which provides expertise, knowledge and support for the management and promotion of projects’, amongst other initiatives.

An extraordinary human adventure that unites and brings people together

Staff, volunteers, farmers and many other contributors join forces to continue ‘enjoying the incredible landscapes and species that nature offers within the Occitanie region, ranked among the richest in France’.

Acknowledging the designations

As with any organisation, it is useful to be able to recognise and understand the various terms and abbreviations (appellations & sigles). For example, the term ‘site’ refers to an area that will be subject to management, restoration or agroecological transition measures with a view to preserving biodiversity; ‘natural areas’ or ‘natural environments’ refer to the ‘protected natural areas’ of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which brings together, within a unique partnership, 2 ministries, 7 public bodies, 8 local authorities, 64 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and 300 experts), which is defined as ‘a clearly defined geographical area, recognised, dedicated and managed, through effective legal or other means, to ensure the long-term conservation of nature and the associated ecosystem services and cultural values’.

As for ‘agroecological infrastructure’, this refers to fixed landscape features and semi-natural habitats (such as hedges, trees, copses, etc.) in the vicinity of cultivated plots. ‘Wetlands’, according to the Environment Code, correspond to ‘land, whether cultivated or not, that is usually flooded or saturated with fresh, salt or brackish water on a permanent or temporary basis, or where the vegetation, where it exists, is dominated by hygrophilous plants for at least part of the year’.

A project spanning nearly 300 sites

Spanning over 25,000 hectares across 13 departments in the Occitanie region, from the Mediterranean coasts and shores to the mountains and plateaus of the Massif Central, the mountains and valleys of the Pyrenees, and the plains and hillsides of Midi-Pyrénées, home to protected and endemic species of the region, the project covers a wide variety of ecosystems: heathland, scrubland, meadows, forests, lakes and rivers, and wetlands...

The impact of human activity

Whilst the artificialisation and fragmentation of habitats (livestock farming, market gardening, arable farming, residential areas) have a significant impact on natural environments, it is important to remember the importance of their biodiversity and conservation (‘floral heritage – protection of pollination in particular, and fauna – 80 species – across 24 different habitats’), and to understand this evolution and manage it as effectively as possible, by monitoring, amongst other things, water quality, the decomposition and recycling of organic matter…

Strengthening the network of protected sites and the green and blue infrastructure

‘Wild and local seeds collected from natural meadows, and hay harvested from these same meadows, are being put to good use through the development of new supply chains. These include the creation of a ‘natural hay’ brand and membership of the Végétal Local scheme, enabling the agricultural cooperative to be self-financing whilst also providing ecological restoration services for local authorities—such as the reopening of habitats using livestock, timber hauling by animal traction, etc., which represents a dynamic partnership between natural area managers, organisations promoting local, environmentally friendly, sustainable and small-scale farming, more conventional agricultural organisations and decision-makers’.

Among the species to be protected

Among the many species requiring protection, some are on the Red List. ‘23% of Odonata species (dragonflies, damselflies) and Rhopalocera species (butterflies) are considered to be at risk of extinction, compared with 14% and 6.7% respectively at national level.’ These species are threatened due to changes in land use and urbanisation practices such as drainage. ‘Natural meadows, grasslands and pastures have thus seen their area decrease by 50% over 40 years. Yet these habitats are home to an exceptional wealth of flora and fauna and facilitate constant and remarkable interactions between different ecosystems.’ (Click on the link to find out more about endangered and protected species and the action plans (APs)  initiated by the Occitanie Nature Conservancy (including the Bonelli’s eagle, the Pyrenean desman, the ocellated lizard, Capaccini’s pipistrelle, the little tern, the Bistorte fritillary… or even the Aveyron orchid, the downy Marsilea, the doubtful gladiolus, Lapeyrouse’s pansy…).

About SCEA Biodiv’Paysanne

The Biodiv’Paysanne Agricultural Cooperative (SCEA) is an integral part of the project and enables the testing of an agricultural model dedicated to the preservation of biodiversity and the enhancement of natural resources.

In addition to its leading role in ‘the restoration of plots and grassland habitats with high ecological potential, and the sale of seed’, the SCEA is also ‘self-sufficient in mowing, swathing and baling, with the aim of creating a natural hay supply chain of agroecological interest’.

The SCEA is also heavily involved in encouraging ‘farmers and agricultural organisations to exchange and pass on their expertise regarding the seed, hay and source plot conservation sectors” and “those involved in animal traction’, a discipline that has been returning to the forefront for many years, to do the same.

To find out more about the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne Project, click on the link.
Many thanks to Mathilde Cassé, from the CEN Occitanie press office, for her contribution to the blog and the press pack & photos.