Project

"Mycologicalresources & Rural Development" Castilla-León 06-07

"A model of enhancement and sustainable management of mycological resources."

The inter-regional cooperation project “Mycological Resources & Rural Development” is being developed in nineteen areas linked to Castilla-León Leader & Proder initiatives. Its background was a previous research implemented in Pinares Llanos (Soria) and linked to an EU LIFE project, named MYAS, and the results obtained in fifteen forest areas integrated in the interregional cooperation project “Mycology and Quality”. These experiences have been a tool for detecting the following problems:

Unsustainable mushroom exploitation, loss of wealth, low added value, low quality and healthiness of the products, and low social valuation regarding its new possibilities. However, combined actions for defining and implementing a management model, promoted from the offer side, and carried out between public administrations and society, have been proven to generate social, environmental and economic benefits.

The aims of the project “Mycological Resources and Rural Development” are to improve the model defined in MYAS Project and progress in its implementation. In order to achieve these objectives new actions based on a participatory method combining research, land use planning, vocational training, environmental education and marketing monitoring, linked to a quality tourism, will be carried out.

The possibilities offered by wild mushrooms are multiple and the project “Mycological Resources and Rural Development” is an example of cooperation between institutions and regions. We intend to prove that natural resources that haven’t been considered an economic growth factor can indeed be a source of economic growth and contribute to Castilla-León rural development, while, given its growing demand, the sustainability of mycological resources is ensured.

Action framework

The project “Mycological Resources and Rural Development” is being developed in peripheral areas located in an objective 1 region, Castilla-León, including nineteen forest areas, fifteen of which took part in the project “Mycology and Quality”.

The action areas have a population of more than 460,000 (944 municipalities) and their area is more than 43,549.96 Km2, around 46% of the total area of Castilla- León. These areas are characterized by their great mycological richness, specially linked to their forest areas (3,032,985 ha in total), and they share the same problems regarding mushroom exploitation and its enhancement.

One of the project aims is to transfer and implement its results in other similar areas, specially in Castilla- León, the rest of the EU and Latin America.