13 de diciembre de 2024 – The Barbanza Ecosocial Laboratory has been working since 2020 to better understand multifunctional and sustainable common land management. To this end, a study was conducted of the historical trajectory of common land comunities in the area and local knowledge about land management was recovered. Currently, the Laboratory is working in Barbanza to diversify the uses of common lands, restore degraded areas, and boost their productivity to generate added value through resource collection and transformation, among other activities.

The University of Santiago (through the Histagra Group and CISPAC) and Pablo de Olavide University are working on the creation of a sustainability analysis model through the study of three multifunctional common lands’: Baroña (Porto do Son), O Carballo (Friol), and Zobra (Lalín). Once the model is built, it will be applied to monitor and evaluate the transition process toward greater sustainability in the Rianxo common land comunities, as members of the Plataforma pola Defensa do Monte. The analysis of its functioning is based on work with community members, as well as on the study of historical and current cartography or other documentation.

Inspiring Models of Multifunctional Management

Baroña, a community with diversified uses of the common land. Since the major fire of 2006, Baroña has opted for a ‘monte’ management model that generates economic, social, and environmental benefits. Its management includes the harvesting of wood and resin, extensive livestock grazing, beekeeping, and mushroom harvesting. It is currently investing in the processing of meat products and the creation of an edible forest of various berries. The community also organizes outreach activities such as archaeological trails, workshops, and courses. These initiatives strengthen a well-established management model that contributes to the well-being of the neighborhood.

O Carballo, synergies between silvopastoralism and community. The Common Land Community of the parish of O Carballo stands out for combining forest management with extensive herds of horses, goats, and native-bred pigs. The community also has a CRAEGA-certified mushroom reserve and is committed to beekeeping, marketing its own honey. Furthermore, it makes a significant area of ​​communal pastureland available to community members’ farms, contributing to the maintenance of livestock farming in the area. The community also organizes activities and events for the neighborhood, such as the Rapa das Bestas do Carballo (Shaving of the Mares).

Zobra, activism and environmental preservation through sustainable ‘monte’ management. The Zobra CMVMC is located in the Sierra del Candán, in Lalín, a protected area under the Natura 2000 Network. The multifunctional management of this ‘monte vecinal’ since its classification in the 1990s has fostered the environmental and cultural richness of the area. Wind energy contributes to the generation of employment in the community through resource management. The community also supports the viability of livestock and beekeeping operations by allowing the use of communal lands. These uses coexist with the tourist aspect following the rehabilitation of the mine houses for visitor accommodation and the creation of an approved hiking trail that highlights the history of the site with unique elements such as the alvarizas (stone beehive capsules).