Presentation short abstract

Bridging research and embodied practice, this work explores how ecological knowledge is produced. It analyzes the complex reality of communal grazing, challenging simplistic urban-rural narratives and administrative barriers. Sustainability is a negotiation between shepherd, herd, and mountain.

Presentation long abstract

This presentation explores the complex reality of modern pastoralism through the lens of a practitioner who transitioned from a background in Environmental History of Agricultural Systems (PhD Economic History) and academic research (postdoc in the Basque Centre of Climate Change-BC3) to working as a shepherd. The experience highlights the crucial divide between knowledge acquired "from the office" and the profound learning that occurs by "putting the body" into the work of shepherding.

By detailing daily circuits, herd behavior, and interactions with the mountain, the talk argues that effective and sustainable grazing is fundamentally a process of negotiation between sheep, the flock, the mountain, and other users. This intimate, territory-bound knowledge is complex and often transmitted orally, yet is frequently undervalued, dismissed as "folklore," or simplified by external observers and policy.

The discussion employs a political ecology framework to analyze external pressures, including the challenges of new sector entrants (age, lack of land tradition), administrative barriers (being deemed "not professional" or "not young"), and societal gendered expectations (questions about fear and strength). Ultimately, the talk contends that genuine knowledge, distinct from "marketing," is essential for addressing the challenges of climate change, public policy design, and the demographic crisis in rural areas. It calls for valuing practical, embodied understanding as critical for a resilient rural future.