Introduction: Supporting Sustainable Agriculture in Menorca

In order to give a more detailed description of activities, we will present the work we did in 2024, structured in the strategic lines we presented above

Building agricultural resilience

Our work this year has encompassed several key areas:

•    Soil fertility: We conducted soil samples at 21 farms . We also supported five farms with the purchase of seeds for perennial pastures and cover crops. Additionally, we conducted a pilot project on no-till farming at one farm and made improvements to a mobile chicken coop at another. Finally, we purchased fencing for targeted grazing of chickens and goats at two farms.

•    Water management: We improved water use efficiency by restoring a cistern and installing a solar panel at one farm, and installing a water meter at another.

•    Commercial resilience: We promoted products and producers through 6 excursions to  farms, with a total of 455 participants. We also held four tasting events at various venues and updated and reprinted the farm catalogue. To further promote the value of Custòdia Agrària, we presented at events like the Arrels fair (targeted to general public), and HORECA fair (targeted to hotels and restaurants). We also set up a promotional stand at the Menorca organic agricultural products fair and ran a monthly raffle of Custòdia Agrària product baskets. Finally, we enhanced brand image by providing marketing materials (bags, tablecloths, labels, informational posters) to 20 farms, and creating wooden Custòdia Agrària distinctive signs for direct-selling producers. We further supported diversification by purchasing trees and beehives for distribution to nine farms. We also monitored the economic evolution of 35 farms through questionnaires.

•    Environmental resilience: We focused on natural pest control by providing and rotating rat traps at four farms and purchasing aromatic plants for one. We also promoted biodiversity by restoring a water trough, installing drinking troughs and a bat box at separate farms, and creating flower strips at two farms. Additionally, a red kite was released at one farm. Finally, we contributed to landscape maintenance by intervening a section of the Cala en Porter water stream (overfloding due to over-vegetation of streams is a frequent problem), applying for permission to maintain a stream at another farm, removing waste at five farms, and carrying out branch chipping at one farm.

Training and Advice: We provided training through the XVII Agriculture and Environment Seminar and a workshop on “Agroforestry, edible forests, and carbon capture” with 120 and 45 participants respectively. We also offered advisory services on biofertilizers, targeted grazing, cover crops, and no-till farming, involving a total of 33 farms. We provided soil analysis recommendations to seven farms and visited five farms to explore no-till farming implementation, supporting one farm with local machinery.

Impact measurement: We measured our impact through several methods: completing the ecological footprint calculation for raw-sausages and publishing the results; digitizing previous inventories of farm land cover types and natural values and integrating them into GIS,, conducting the first carbon capture study at 8 farms (based on 134 soil samples); conducting new natural value and ornithological inventories at six farms and a nesting bird inventory at one; and performing two bioindicator monitoring campaigns at 20 farms each, with the participation of 15 volunteers in each.

Scaling up impact through networking and collaboration: As part of the agricultural volunteering program, 9 workdays were carried out with the participation of 217 people. Activities included the maintenance of a stream, the restoration and maintenance of rural paths, the adaptation of a small forest to serve as a shade shelter for cattle, the recovery of an old “boeret” (a traditional construction, made with sandstone, used as a shelter for cattle), the planting of riparian shrubs, the maintenance of islets for bird nesting, and emergency actions to mitigate the damage caused by a DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels). Additionally, a fortnightly volunteering program was organized to support regenerative practices on a farm.

We also welcomed 2 new farms (Binissaida de sa Creueta and Torre Aturet) to the program and signed a pre-agreement with another (s’Hortet de s’Algar). We held our annual farm meeting with 34 participants.

We engaged in environmental education through 15 workshops with schools, with the participation of 300 students. We also held meetings to expand the educational offerings of the program Visitam un Lloc to two other farms. Concomitantly, we started preparing an educational guide to increase the impact of the visits.

We also actively engaged in project dissemination through radio programs, press articles, and presentations at various events. We participated in meetings and knowledge exchanges with various organizations, including ICTIB, FRECT, AMNC, and co-founded the new network “Territorios Regenerativos: La Red”. At the same time, we received the approval of the GOV4ALL project for the Horizon (EU) fund call for the construction of a Living Lab on healthy soils with farms in Menorca. It’s a project in collaboration with 4 other Mediterranean territories, in a consortium with 35 partners.

A shared vision with the Satoyama Initiative conceptual Framework

The Satoyama Initiative framework provides a strong conceptual foundation for the activities outlined above. This framework emphasizes the vision of agricultural landscapes as dynamic living systems teeming with biodiversity, acknowledging the profound interconnectedness between humans and nature. We strongly share this vision, believing that society’s relationship with productive landscapes reflects the broader state of our connection to the natural world.

The Satoyama Initiative’s focus on securing diverse ecosystem services aligns perfectly with our project’s objectives. We strive to consolidate knowledge on ecosystem services by supporting practices that foster resilient ecosystems. This involves promoting the cyclical use of natural resources, ensuring resource use remains within the carrying capacity of the environment, and implementing concrete actions such as installing or restoring elements for water use efficiency – all key principles emphasized within the Satoyama framework.

In Menorca, the presence of dry-stone walls exemplifies how traditional land management practices have shaped the landscape, a core concept within the Satoyama Initiative. These practices, such as the “3 sementers” system, demonstrate the value of local traditions and cultural knowledge in maintaining soil health, a key aspect of the framework’s emphasis on traditional ecological knowledge. However, the increasing pressures of food market demands, economic instability, and the climate crisis necessitate the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with modern scientific approaches, a crucial aspect of the Satoyama Initiative’s adaptive management approach. This requires implementing new practices that enhance soil health and regeneration, such as mulching and directed grazing.

Furthermore, the Satoyama Initiative strongly advocates for co-management systems that foster community resilience. This aligns perfectly with our project’s emphasis on multi-stakeholder participation and collaboration. By organizing initiatives like volunteering days, educational excursions, and yearly farmers’ meetings, we are actively fostering a sense of community ownership and shared responsibility for the landscape, a key principle of the Satoyama Initiative.