Spain's Extensive Grazing Decline Threatens Fire Prevention in Castilla‑La Mancha

Over the last decade, Spain's extensive grazing herd of sheep and goats has fallen sharply, with official censuses showing a loss of about two million sheep and 300,000 goats, equivalent to a daily decline of 520 sheep and 82 goats. This decline undermines a traditional fire‑prevention tool, as extensive grazing and transhumance reduce combustible vegetation.

The Interprofessional Ovino y Caprino de Carne (Interovic) stresses that extensive grazing remains "one of the most effective and low‑cost tools" for forest fire control. The Asociación Nacional de Ganaderos y Ganaderas en Extensivo (Anggex), led by Felipe Molina, urges "institutional support" to restore profitability and ensure generational renewal, also calling on consumers to buy products year‑round.

The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of Pastures and Pastoralists, prompting Spain to create a forum for integral forest‑fire prevention that proposes active promotion of extensive livestock through specific regulations and marketing measures.