The Lab
A transformative initiative that, in a collaborative and multidisciplinary way, works together with local communities to promote a transition towards environmental sustainability and increase resilience in the territorial management of the Barbanza region.
The Barbanza Ecosocial Lab is an initiative of Fundación RIA and the Histagra research group at USC, the Barbanza Ecosocial Laboratory was born in 2020 to promote a sustainable reactivation of the territory based on the knowledge of local communities.
After four years, the project has become a network that incorporates various agents from the territory: forest communities, universities, local governments and other third parties. As a result of this collective effort, the project received a grant of 2 million euros in European funds disbursed by the MITECO Biodiversity Foundation in early 2024.
RIA serves as the coordinating organization of this project, which brings together the Platform for the Defense of the Mountain, the University of Santiago de Compostela (through CISPAC and the research groups Histagra and Uxafores), the Pablo de Olavide University, the Rianxo City Council, and the Montescola Foundation.
The importance of the project lies in its potential to change the paradigm of forest management in Barbanza, promoting biodiversity, circular economy and the creation of green jobs.
By combining science, community engagement and a vision of sustainable land management, the Laboratory aims to be the catalyst for resilient and sustainable transformation in the Barbanza region.
The project’s actions seek to promote the diversification of forest uses, recovering degraded areas and boosting their productivity to generate added value by obtaining and transforming raw materials, thus contributing to fire prevention.
The management, use and transformation of timber and non-timber resources will be optimised, promoting the creation of value, employment opportunities and strengthening the link between society and the territory through training, voluntary work and education.
These objectives are organised around seven lines of action, which are coordinated by the different project partners:
Sustainability assessment and energy community
Action 1 | University of Santiago de Compostela and Pablo de Olavide University of Seville
Increasing the added value to the territory
Actions 2 and 3 | Plataforma pola Defensa do Monte
The aim of these lines of action is to bring underused or abandoned areas into production by eliminating invasive species, introducing livestock, carrying out various plantations and reinforcing fire protection infrastructures.
The Platform for the Defense of the Forest promotes a joint land management plan and develops pilot actions. Simultaneously, it coordinates together with the Baroña Forest Community the opening of the Collaborative Food Transformation Center, which focuses on processing animal protein sourced from local livestock farms. In addition, wood and organic waste recovery are promoted among forest communities, fostering innovation, job creation, and training related to the use and transformation of raw materials.
Soils and carbon capture
Action 4 | Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Through soil rehabilitation and the promotion of biodiversity in communal forests, this line of action aims to enhance their carbon capture capacity and improve the health and resilience of ecosystems.
The project focuses on the application of organic amendments derived from waste and by-products as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers, assessing their impact in collaboration with the UXAFORES research group at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Additionally, the feasibility of these practices for the generation and commercialization of carbon credits is being explored. The process is supported by educational workshops aimed at communal forest communities and other relevant stakeholders.
Community innovation
Action 5 | Fundación Montescola
The project will deepen its integration into local social dynamics, directly involving the participating communities. Through training, volunteering and environmental education programmes, the Laboratory will seek to train and empower communities, involve them in the active management of the territory, and lay the foundations for greater environmental awareness linked to the territory on the part of young people.
Rianxo City Council organizes workshops and the Montescola Foundation develops lines of work to strengthen community management of forests and promote resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Communication and governance
Actions 6 and 7 | Fundación RIA
Transversally, the project’s communication efforts aim to raise awareness and mobilize both the local community and the wider public, fostering understanding and engagement with a sustainable and resilient bioeconomy. To this end, the project’s public presence is strengthened and the entire process is thoroughly documented, ensuring open access to the knowledge generated.
At the same time, effective coordination—both technical and financial—is ensured to support the smooth implementation of the project and provide partner entities with shared services and dedicated financial resources.
Since February 2024, the constituent entities of the project have been developing and coordinating work that has achieved the following milestones:
Forest fire prevention and multifunctionality
– More than 200 hectares of forest biomass management
– 3,000 chestnut trees planted in Rianxo
– Communal herd of 80 goats (expected to reach 200), contributing to land management
– Joint territorial management plan of, by and for 6 forest communities
– Launch of a rural initiative to collectively produce, consume and sell renewable energy
– 30 m³ of compost processed in training sessions with 8 forest communities
– Collective use of a portable sawmill in 5 hands-on training sessions
Green and just transition
– 8 lots of forestry work awarded to 6 local companies, totaling more than €400,000
– 6 people hired by the project itself
– 4 entities contracted for advisory services
Research and community involvement
– Participation of forest communities in research on sustainable governance models
– Soil restoration trials in 64 plot subdivisions
– More than 480 people participated in 19 environmental volunteer activities
– More than 100 local students involved
– More than 45 interviews, leading to 11 collaboration agreements signed with local stakeholders