Presentation short abstract

Through an agroecological lens, this paper explores how traditional transhumant practices and new holistic management frameworks shape adaptation in the Canary Islands, revealing how flexibility and rigidity co-exist in pastoral resilience.

Presentation long abstract

Pastoralism in the Canary Islands embodies a long history of adaptive flexibility within diverse environments. Traditional transhumance practices, based on the seasonal mobility of sheep and goats across ecological zones, have allowed pastoral communities to manage uncertainty through flexible strategies of resource use, collective governance, and local ecological knowledge. These practices have fostered agrobiodiversity, prevented overgrazing, and maintained soil health, reinforcing the resilience of both ecosystems and livelihoods.

Yet, this embedded flexibility increasingly encounters institutional and territorial rigidity. Land-use regulations, patrimonialization, and agri-environmental policies have progressively limited herd mobility and access to traditional grazing routes, constraining adaptive capacities. At the same time, new frameworks such as “holistic management” (Savory & Butterfield, 2018) introduce alternative forms of organized adaptation that blend traditional pastoral wisdom with structured regenerative practices.

Drawing on an agroecological and political ecology perspective, this paper examines how these forms of flexibility and rigidity intersect in shaping contemporary pastoral adaptation. It explores the power relations, governance dynamics, and ecological trade-offs that emerge when local herders negotiate between customary mobility and regulatory frameworks. By analyzing the Canary Islands as a case study, the paper highlights how the balance between adaptive flexibility and structural rigidity can either enable or restrict the transformation of pastoral systems under climate and socio-economic pressures.