This initiative, which is particularly relevant in inland Castellón after the Bejís fire in 2022, seeks to strengthen prevention and landscape management. The advance of forests and the abandonment of agricultural land have increased the risk of high-intensity fires in the Valencian regions.
“"The Bejís fire marked a before and after, reminding us that the territory is also protected by working the land. GO Viver allows us to move from concern to planning, with concrete and evaluable measures."
GO Viver is structured on two complementary scales. At the landscape level, the project designs an agroforestry strategy based on the analysis of fire-vulnerable areas and the identification of priority areas for agroecological restoration. The objective is to recover abandoned crops, create productive firebreaks, and re-establish key elements of the agricultural-forest mosaic. Based on a diagnosis using geographic information systems, a catalog of interventions and a coordinated roadmap will be developed, aligned with the production values of Cooperativa de Viver's premium Lágrima EVOO.
At the plot level, the project supports the cooperative's producers through a learning community where climate change adaptation practices are tested in pilot plots, such as cover crops or thermal barriers. Their effects on biodiversity will be evaluated using the Biodiversity Net Gain methodology, which quantifies biodiversity gain from different groups of bioindicator organisms.
“"The key is to combine fire prevention and biodiversity with practices that farmers can apply and see: healthier soil, more resilient crops, and a better-structured landscape. We are not talking about theory; we are talking about measures that are tested, adjusted, and can be replicated."
The project includes a transfer and communication plan with in-person and online technical workshops, meetings with administrations, and dissemination through digital channels, with the aim of scaling the results to other cooperatives and territories. The change in perception of farmers and the local community regarding the role of agriculture in the face of climate change will also be evaluated.
GO Viver builds on more than 15 years of collaboration between Cooperativa de Viver and Fundación Global Nature, reinforcing a model that combines technical innovation, social participation, and biodiversity conservation to strengthen the socio-ecological resilience of the territory. The project is funded by the European Union through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), within the framework of Spain's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
