OG Multi-Forest: Multifunctionality and integrated valorization of the forest through Chain of Custody Certification 

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of forests, affecting the suitability and distribution of many species. Extreme events are increasingly relevant in daily life, with virulent and severe forest fires threatening urban areas and destroying ecosystems, floods or droughts endangering property and lives and compromising resources, pests threatening crops, etc. In this scenario, the Multi-Forest project aims to obtain a multifunctional and resilient model of a Galician forest through continuous improvement in its management, allowing for increased sustainability and added value to its products. 

The Multi-Forest Operational Group has as its main objective to promote the multifunctionality of Galician forests through the diversification and compatibility of their uses to enhance and revalue the forestry and agri-livestock sector, revitalizing low-productive areas and offering viable and resilient alternatives in the face of new climate change scenarios. To this end, it will focus on the following: 

• Analysis of the suitability of each forest area through satellite technologies that allow for the establishment of specific indicators to provide information on soil suitability and carrying capacity and environmental conditions. 

• Evaluation of the technical, environmental and economic viability of implementing small areas for the cultivation of berries and/or shiitake mushrooms. 

• Promotion of native products obtained from sustainably managed forests through their valorization with Chain of Custody certification for honey, horse meat and their derivatives. 

• Evaluation of the social, economic and environmental impacts of multifunctional forest management to understand the potential of agroforestry use and climate change mitigation. 

The potential results expected from this project are: 

• Creation of an agrosilvopastoral production system with a high degree of diversity and competitiveness in 870 ha of Galician forest, which will include the ecological, integrated and compatible use of the forest from existing uses with new ones, such as berries or shiitake mushrooms. 

• Establishment of the necessary mechanisms for compliance with the UNE 162002 Sustainable Forest Management standard by the CMVMC of Baroña, guaranteeing its continuity in the PEFC sustainable forest certification. 

• Quantification of the environmental, social and economic costs and benefits of multifunctional and integrated forest management. 

• Reuse of biomass strips established by current regulations for the cultivation of berries, which will imply a lower risk of forest fire propagation due to irrigation systems. 

• Incentivization of Galician natural and traditional heritage by boosting the area for tourism, maintaining the existing archaeological sites in Baroña. 

Consult the project information brochure in: Spanish / English 

Check the project activities in: Spanish / English 

This project is funded by grants for the implementation of innovative projects by the Operational Groups of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI), co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) under the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP-SP) 2023-2027. The Consellería do Medio Rural is the Galician Government body responsible for proposing and implementing general guidelines in the rural area and encompasses competencies in agriculture, livestock, rural development and regional planning, rural structures, agri-food and forestry industries, forests, and the prevention and defense against forest fires.
Budget: €179,980.81 

The project is made up of a multidisciplinary team composed of Fundación Empresa Universidad Gallega (FEUGA), the Community of Montes de Baroña, the Galician Association for Forest Certification Promotion (PEFC Galicia), and the Agroforestry Research Group of Universidade de Vigo