This initiative is particularly relevant in inland Castellón, following recent episodes such as the large Bejís fire in 2022. This event highlighted the need to strengthen prevention and landscape management in regions where forest encroachment and land abandonment increase the risk of high-intensity fires.
“"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 scale, 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 aligned with the production values of Cooperativa de Viver's premium EVOO Lágrima will be developed.
At the plot scale, the project supports the Cooperativa'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 gains 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 is supported by more than 15 years of collaboration between Cooperativa de Viver and Fundación Global Nature and reinforces 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 Strategic Plan for the CAP 2023-2027.
