• The Asturian town of Sotres (Cabrales) hosted the first meeting of shepherds, called "Resistance and Future."
• The meeting served to expose common and current problems and debate future actions that protect the culture of extensive grazing.

The conclave served to share current issues and discuss courses of action to protect the culture of extensive pastoralism, both now and in the future. Attendees came from Spain, France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Among those present were Olivier Maurin, president of the French Federation for the Defense of Pastoralism, and the Englishman James Rebanks, author of "A Shepherd's Life," among others.

The main objective has been to promote associations, that is, to generate a national network of pastoral and extensive livestock organizations that share the common problems they face, even though they come from different parts of Spain.

Mobile slaughterhouses

The meeting featured an ambitious four-day program , including roundtable discussions, workshops, and markets, all related to the pastoral activity. One of the initiatives discussed at the Sotres shepherds' meeting was the launch of a mobile slaughterhouse. In pastoral areas where this service is not available, farmers are forced to travel with their animals, at the associated cost.

This project has already taken off in Catalonia, a region that a few weeks ago unveiled the first truck authorized and approved for slaughtering sheep and goats, which eliminates travel from remote areas to areas with this service.

The sessions included guided tours of local cheese factories and museums.

Organizing Committee

The first meeting of shepherds “Resistance and Future” was organized by the European Shepherds Network ( ESN ), Campo Adentro , the State Federation of Shepherds (FEP) and DeYerba .

It has also had the collaboration of the Goethe Institute , Cabrales City Council , Ganaderas en Red and the FNDP.

You can consult the newsletter published for this congress here .