FORESTSCOMMUNITIES

XVI Encontro Internacional de Jovens Cientistas das Escolas Associadas da UNESCO ALIMENTAR O MUNDO

RESPEITANDO A TERRA

THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FAMILY FARMING

0 The 2014 International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) aims to raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas.

THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FAMILY FARMING

0 The goal of the 2014 IYFF is to reposition family farming at the centre of agricultural, environmental and social policies in the national agendas by identifying gaps and opportunities to promote a shift towards a more equal and balanced development.  

WHY IS FAMILY FARMING IMPORTANT?

0 Family and small-scale farming are inextricably linked to world food security.

0 Family farming preserves traditional food products, while contributing to a balanced diet and safeguarding the world’s agro-biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources.

0 Family farming represents an opportunity to boost local economies, especially when combined with specific policies aimed at social protection and well-being of communities.

WHAT IS FAMILY FARMING?

0 Family farming includes all family-based agricultural activities, and it is linked to several areas of the rural development. Family farming is a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production which is managed and operated by a family and predominantly reliant on family labour, including both women’s and men’s.

FORESTS COMMUNITIES

ORIGIN

0 A Germanic model of property (possession occurs through common use. So neighbour=owner).

0 It cannot be bequeathed since it is an indispensable, indivisible, unimpoundable and inalienable property.

ORIGIN

0 Forests of “sticks and voices” of Roman origin, makes a more and more frequent use of it: depletions, firewood, stone, crops, pastures. However, the surface decreases (de 1.600.000 a 600.000 has).

HISTORY

In the nineteenth century the

neighbourhood Forests favours and

complements rudimentary

agricultural production, which is the main

activity of most of the Galician population

The triumph of liberalism prevents the State from recognizing neighbourhood forests

as neighbours’ property and are considered as

“public forest” belonging to the

State.But in Galiza they continue to belong to

the neighbours keeping the characteristic of

communal neighbourhood forest

During Franco’s dictatorship, the

mortgage law (1946) ascribed them to the

local councils. Eucalypti and pine trees are

planted all over the forest, which gives rise to a uniform massive forestal repopulation which turns out to be

aggressive and excluding.

Nowadays neighbourhood forest are dealt with by the forest communities,

which have to comply with complex rules and

regulations and they receive very little

suppport from the Xunta de Galicia, but economic, social and

ecological prosperity of Galician is preserved.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS PRESERVATION

0 The neighbourhood forests are a CO² sink produced by industrial and domestic activities.

0 It is a key element for biodiversity preservation, hydric regulation, struggle against erosion, O² production and CO² reduction.

FORESTS IN GALIZA

0 Forest in Galiza take up 2/3 of its territory, a total of two million hectares, of which 650,000 is neighbourhood forest, about 30%.

0 Forest woodland is 1,600,000 hectares and out of these neighbourhood forests woodland is 520,000.

FORESTS EXPLOTATION

Exploitation is based down two key criteria:0 Sustainibility: promoting

environmental resources.0 External recovery.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

IN THE MARKETWood

Fruit

Pasture

Hunting

Quarries

OUT OF MARKETOxygen production

Leisure

Ptotection of erosion

Biodiversity preservation

Historical heritage

Landscape

Hydric and soil protection

CO² absorption

SUSTAINIBILITY CRITERIA determine management and make it more

expensive:

0 Provision and care of springs

0 Protection of biodiversity

0 Landscape protection0 Air protection

MANAGEMENT MEASURES

0 Planning0 Lot allocation minutes0 Forestry related tasks0 Firefighting measures0 Forestal certification

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPENSATION –DIRECT AID AGAINST GREENHOUSE

EFFECT

 0 Planting native hardwods0 Diversification of forestal

uses0 Provision of forestal

menagement measures0 Bonus taxes for non-

profitable activities0 Increase in aids for

knowledge and social use of the forest.

0 Spreading environmental functions of the forest.

A DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT

Neighbourhood manages were managed by the Forest Community and in order to belong to this community certain requirements are needed: 0 Neighbourhood (open

house with smoke)0 Application form approved

by the General Assembly0 Connection with the forest

MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS

0 The General Assembly

0 Governing Board

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

0 It meets at least twice a year in an ordinary session and an extraordinary session. Is duties are to approve of general management of the forest.

GOVERNING BOARD

0 It represents and manages the community, puts forward proposals and initiatives at the Assembly and enforces the agreements reached by the commoners.

“The ultimate goal of preservation of neighbourhood forests is stabilizing

rural population”

BY Ricardo Alarcón, Baltar Morgade and David Muñíz – IES “Luís Seoane” (Pontevedra)