Cantabria has reactivated this year the pilot project, unique in the country, to collect and revalue the sheep wool coming from the flocks integrated into the ProBiodiversidad program, generated during the shearing campaigns, especially in the month of July.
In this edition, nearly 18 tons of wool have been gathered in containers installed in the Liébana region and in the municipality of Peñarrubia, according to the promoters of the initiative, promoted by the Departments of Environment and Livestock along with the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture (FCQ).
The collection and transfer of this waste has been carried out from the designated points in Peñarrubia, in the La Hermida area (access road to Bejes); in Cillorigo de Liébana, in the Pendes area; and in Camaleño, at the clean point of Los Llanos, to the Environmental Complex of Meruelo, where it will receive the corresponding treatment.
The Bearded Vulture Foundation has taken on the task of informing and coordinating the delivery of the wool with the farmers involved, around a dozen in both regions, who had to respect specific conditions to ensure the proper management of the material.
Thus, the wool had to be deposited in standard 50-liter bags (about 15 kilos per unit), filled only halfway, completely dry, and closed with ties. Only sheep wool has been accepted, without mixing with other waste, as detailed by the regional government in a statement.
The councilor of the area, Roberto Media, has pointed out that this project aims to respond to a need of the territory, as it is an activity that generated "an unresolved problem until last year" in the field of extensive livestock farming.
In this way, the aim is to minimize the extent to which this waste becomes an environmental and economic burden for the sector.
The councilor of Livestock, María Jesús Susinos, has emphasized that this action represents "an important step" for the sustainability of local livestock farming, as well as for the environmental and economic sustainability of the area.
She has recalled that each year the sheep farmers of Liébana faced "a serious problem" and that, thanks to this organized collection, they now have an appropriate way to manage the wool.
For the director of the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture, Gerardo Báguena, this experience also serves to reinforce cooperation between administrations, conservation entities, and the livestock sector itself, in favor of the natural environment of the Picos de Europa.
Meanwhile, the vice president of the FCQ, Gerardo Báguena, has emphasized that this project represents "a great step" towards the sustainability of local livestock farming and the conservation of the natural environment in which the bearded vulture coexists with rural traditions.
In addition, he has stressed the importance of maintaining and expanding the necessary measures so that the farmers who have committed to this initiative feel "supported and welcomed" in a context where extensive livestock farming is going through a delicate situation.
Flocks and ProBiodiversidad brand
Currently, most of the sheep in the ProBiodiversidad flocks are of native breeds such as the latxa and the carranzana, which produce a thick wool that is not in demand in the current textile industry, as its treatment requires very polluting processes and a high water consumption.
This reality leaves farmers without viable alternatives to manage the wool, which translates into an additional problem. To address this situation, and after various meetings between the Ministry of Environment and the Foundation, a pilot plan was launched that facilitates the organized collection of this waste.
The initiative aims to open new options for sustainable use, such as its use in bioconstruction, insulation, agricultural composting, or energy generation, within a circular economy model adapted to the rural environment.
In parallel, technical studies and physicochemical analyses of the collected wool are being carried out in order to determine its suitability for the various intended applications.
The project is integrated into the actions of the bearded vulture recovery program in the Picos de Europa, which promotes extensive livestock farming systems compatible with biodiversity conservation.
The ProBiodiversidad brand, created in this context, was registered in 2011 by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture and is based on a short circuit marketing model, which minimizes the presence of intermediaries thanks to the collaboration of food distribution platforms and the network of Paradores de Turismo.
With this system, producers achieve a more equitable price and the consumer can get closer in a more direct way to the origin of the food.
In exchange, the ProBiodiversidad ranchers commit to respecting a code of conduct focused on the quality of production, animal welfare, and the defense of biodiversity.
The brand began its journey in Cantabria in 2018, with only two ranchers, and by 2024 it already has 22 associated farms, so more than 13,500 kilos will be marketed.