Fire Eaters: Exploring Consumer Preferences for Labeling Extensive Livestock Products Providing Wildfire Prevention Services

Extensive livestock grazing has proved to be a valuable tool to reduce wildfire risk in Mediterranean landscapes. Meat from herds providing wildfire prevention services exhibit sustainability traits that can appeal to ethical consumers and find a suitable niche in local markets. This study assesses the preferences of a consumer sample in the province of Girona (north-eastern Spain) for different lamb meat labeling options from herds providing wildfire prevention services. The aim is to disentangle consumer profiles, providing evidence for improved product labeling. This may increase the added value and the viability of small farms providing this service. Employing a latent class modeling approach, we explore how meat consumption patterns and socioeconomic features may contribute to explain preferences for different meat labeling options. Our results have identified three consumer profiles: traditional rural consumers relying on trust with producers, younger consumers more akin to new labeling schemes, and urban consumers that support local butchers as a trusted information source. Different labeling mechanisms may work in a complementary way to arrive to different audiences of potential consumers. Geographical indication labels can serve as a good departure point, complemented with information cues on environmental factors related to wildfire protection.K.U. was supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN (PyroLife-860787

Stakeholders' perspectives on the operationalisation of the ecosystem service concept : Results from 27 case studies

The ecosystem service (ES) concept is becoming mainstream in policy and planning, but operational influence on practice is seldom reported. Here, we report the practitioners' perspectives on the practical implementation of the ES concept in 27 case studies. A standardised anonymous survey (n = 246), was used, focusing on the science-practice interaction process, perceived impact and expected use of the case study assessments. Operationalisation of the concept was shown to achieve a gradual change in practices: 13% of the case studies reported a change in action (e.g. management or policy change), and a further 40% anticipated that a change would result from the work. To a large extent the impact was attributed to a well conducted science-practice interaction process (>70%). The main reported advantages of the concept included: increased concept awareness and communication; enhanced participation and collaboration; production of comprehensive science-based knowledge; and production of spatially referenced knowledge for input to planning (91% indicated they had acquired new knowledge). The limitations were mostly case-specific and centred on methodology, data, and challenges with result implementation. The survey highlighted the crucial role of communication, participation and collaboration across different stakeholders, to implement the ES concept and enhance the democratisation of nature and landscape planning. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

“Pastourism”: experiential tourism at pasture farms in the regions of girona province

El pasturisme és un concepte nou que sorgeix de la complementarietat de l’activitat turística amb la ramadera vinculada a la pastura. Les noves generacions de pagesos i pageses veuen en les activitats de turisme vivencial una oportunitat excel·lent per a donar a conèixer la seva tasca i els seus productes agroalimentaris. Gràcies al premi de recerca Yvette Barbaza, durant el 2016 es va portar a terme una recerca a les comarques gironines per a analitzar els recursos de què disposa el sector, així com les propostes de futur que es deriven de la situació actual. Els resultats mostren una realitat emergent en què diferents propostes de pasturisme afloren des de les explotacions agràries familiars, al mateix temps que surten a la llum les dificultats i els reptes amb què aquesta nova modalitat de turisme vivencial es troba perquè sigui una veritable eina de desenvolupament rural.Paraules clau: desenvolupament rural, nova pagesia, pastura, producte agroalimentari, turisme vivencial.El pasturismo es un concepto nuevo que surge de la complementariedad de la actividad turística con la ganadera vinculada al pastoreo. Las nuevas generaciones de agricultoras y agricultores ven en las actividades de turismo vivencial una oportunidad excelente para dar a conocer su labor y sus productos agroalimentarios. Gracias al premio de investigación Yvette Barbaza, durante el 2016 se llevó a cabo un estudio en las comarcas de Girona en el que se analizaron los recursos con los que cuenta el sector, así como las propuestas de futuro que se derivan de la situación actual. Los resultados muestran una realidad emergente en la que diferentes propuestas de pasturismo afloran desde las explotaciones agrarias familiares, a la vez que salen a la luz las dificultades y los retos con los que se encuentra esta nueva modalidad de turismo vivencial para que sea una verdadera herramienta de desarrollo rural.Palabras clave: desarrollo rural, nuevo campesinado, pasto, producto agroalimentario, turismo vivencial.“Pastourism” is a new concept that arises from the complementarity of tourism activity with livestock linked to grazing. In experiential tourism activities, the new generations of farmers see an excellent opportunity to publicize their work and their agri-food products. Thanks to the Yvette Barbaza Research Prize, in 2016 a study was carried out in the Girona area to analyze the resources possessed by the sector and future proposals based on the present situation. The results show an emerging reality in which different “pastourism” proposals arise from family farms, and they highlight the difficulties and challenges which this new form of experiential tourism should face to become a genuine tool of rural development.Keywords: rural development, new farmers, pastures, agri-food products, experiential tourism

El pasturisme: turisme vivencial a les explotacions ramaderes de pastura de les comarques gironines

El pasturisme és un concepte nou que sorgeix de la complementarietat de l'activitat turística amb la ramadera vinculada a la pastura. Les noves generacions de pagesos i pageses veuen en les activitats de turisme vivencial una oportunitat excel·lent per a donar a conèixer la seva tasca i els seus productes agroalimentaris. Gràcies al premi de recerca Yvette Barbaza, durant el 2016 es va portar a terme una recerca a les comarques gironines per a analitzar els recursos de què disposa el sector, així com les propostes de futur que es deriven de la situació actual. Els resultats mostren una realitat emergent en què diferents propostes de pasturisme afloren des de les explotacions agràries familiars, al mateix temps que surten a la llum les dificultats i els reptes amb què aquesta nova modalitat de turisme vivencial es troba perquè sigui una veritable eina de desenvolupament rural.El pasturismo es un concepto nuevo que surge de la complementariedad de la actividad turística con la ganadera vinculada al pastoreo. Las nuevas generaciones de agricultoras y agricultores ven en las actividades de turismo vivencial una oportunidad excelente para dar a conocer su labor y sus productos agroalimentarios. Gracias al premio de investigación Yvette Barbaza, durante el 2016 se llevó a cabo un estudio en las comarcas de Girona en el que se analizaron los recursos con los que cuenta el sector, así como las propuestas de futuro que se derivan de la situación actual. Los resultados muestran una realidad emergente en la que diferentes propuestas de pasturismo afloran desde las explotaciones agrarias familiares, a la vez que salen a la luz las dificultades y los retos con los que se encuentra esta nueva modalidad de turismo vivencial para que sea una verdadera herramienta de desarrollo rural.“Pastourism” is a new concept that arises from the complementarity of tourism activity with livestock linked to grazing. In experiential tourism activities, the new generations of farmers see an excellent opportunity to publicize their work and their agri-food products. Thanks to the Yvette Barbaza Research Prize, in 2016 a study was carried out in the Girona area to analyze the resources possessed by the sector and future proposals based on the present situation. The results show an emerging reality in which different “pastourism” proposals arise from family farms, and they highlight the difficulties and challenges which this new form of experiential tourism should face to become a genuine tool of rural development

Bigger, more diverse and better? Mapping structural diversity and its recreational value in urban green spaces

Are bigger green spaces more diverse in terms of their natural and manmade elements? Does higher diversity mean they are more attractive to users and encourage more diversity of activities, and thereby provide a wider range of recreational ecosystem services? We assessed and classified the recreational services in green urban spaces in the city of Oslo, by combining multidimensional biophysical mapping based on the structural diversity index (SDI), with users’ importance scores as an approach to nonmonetary valuation of urban parks. Our results reveal that size is a weak and non-linear determinant of structural diversity. On the other hand, stated preferences are correlated with structural elements. Urban green spaces classification could be improved by combining structural diversity indicators with structural preference studies. At the same time, our structural diversity measure did not cover the full range of recreational services across the spectrum of urban green spaces. We discuss potential extensions of the structural diversity index for urban green space in order to cover a wider range of green spaces – from cemetaries to peri-urban forest – and the recreational opportunities provided by them. Urban green spaces Structural diversity Recreation Cultural ecosystem services SizeacceptedVersio

Exploring Aesthetic Preferences in Rural Landscapes and the Relationship with Spatial Pattern Indices

This study examines how local population, tourists and farmers relate to rural landscapes, by exploring visual landscape preferences and the influence of everyday landscapes on the research subjects. Results point towards an immense variability in visual landscape preferences amongst user groups living in or visiting the study area (Plana de l’Empordà, Girona, Spain). Tourists rate grasslands at the top of their preference list, local residents prefer orchards, and farmers favour fields of irrigated herbaceous crops; showing, altogether, that the user's relationship with the landscape determines their visual preferences. Results show that farmers prefer agriculture dominated scenes while local residents and tourists prefer scenes with equilibrium between agricultural and natural elements. Likewise, the presence of margins is widely appreciated aesthetically by all respondents. Furthermore, results underline the importance of landscapes that are familiar to the respondents

Exploring Aesthetic Preferences in Rural Landscapes and the Relationship with Spatial Pattern Indices

This study examines how local population, tourists and farmers relate to rural landscapes, by exploring visual landscape preferences and the influence of everyday landscapes on the research subjects. Results point towards an immense variability in visual landscape preferences amongst user groups living in or visiting the study area (Plana de l’Empordà, Girona, Spain). Tourists rate grasslands at the top of their preference list, local residents prefer orchards, and farmers favour fields of irrigated herbaceous crops; showing, altogether, that the user's relationship with the landscape determines their visual preferences. Results show that farmers prefer agriculture dominated scenes while local residents and tourists prefer scenes with equilibrium between agricultural and natural elements. Likewise, the presence of margins is widely appreciated aesthetically by all respondents. Furthermore, results underline the importance of landscapes that are familiar to the respondent

Stakeholders’ perspectives on the operationalisation of the ecosystem service concept: results from 27 case studies

The ecosystem service (ES) concept is becoming mainstream in policy and planning, but operational influence on practice is seldom reported. Here, we report the practitioners’ perspectives on the practical implementation of the ES concept in 27 case studies. A standardised anonymous survey (n=246), was used, focusing on the science-practice interaction process, perceived impact and expected use of the case study assessments. Operationalisation of the concept was shown to achieve a gradual change in practices: 13% of the case studies reported a change in action (e.g. management or policy change), and a further 40% anticipated that a change would result from the work. To a large extent the impact was attributed to a well conducted science-practice interaction process (>70%). The main reported advantages of the concept included: increased concept awareness and communication; enhanced participation and collaboration; production of comprehensive science-based knowledge; and production of spatially referenced knowledge for input to planning (91% indicated they had acquired new knowledge). The limitations were mostly case-specific and centred on methodology, data, and challenges with result implementation. The survey highlighted the crucial role of communication, participation and collaboration across different stakeholders, to implement the ES concept and enhance the democratisation of nature and landscape planning.JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource