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For the implementation of livestock protection in regions that were such measures were not implemented for a long time, on the one hand, knowledge transfer and dissemination are very important. On the other hand, however, the human dimension also plays an essential component. Many questions often arise that, if left unanswered, can lead to conflicts. Therefore, it is important to identify the stakeholders of the project and of livestock protection in general and to actively involve them in the implementation of the project.
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Finding answers to open questions
Why should a more labor-intensive practice that was not previously needed be implemented by livestock owners? How does livestock protection affect habitat fragmentation? Will we actually still be able to go hiking in the Alps if livestock guarding dogs are a common sight on mountain pastures?
These and other questions express concerns of key stakeholders related to livestock protection either directly (as implementers) or indirectly. These are, among others, people working in the agricultural and hunting sector, in science, tourism, or higher educational institutions, as well as local, regional and national associations or political offices. In order to start a discourse on specific topics and to answer all open questions, a stakeholder analysis is part of the project. The goal is to identify individuals from all stakeholder groups and invite them to participate in face-to-face group discussions.
Stakeholder meetings in preparation
LIFEstockProtect surveyed these stakeholders in the project area as a first step at the beginning of this year. We identified a total of 32 interest groups and categorized nearly 400 people as stakeholders. In addition, a social science method was used to rank the stakeholders according to their interest and involvement in livestock protection. Subsequently, the evaluation of this stakeholder analysis will help us to invite people in a targeted manner to the various group meetings. As livestock protection cannot be promoted by a group or a temporary project alone, we aim for a transparent approach finds solutions supported by as many stakeholders as possible.
In the next step, stakeholder meetings will be organized, if possible in person. We will of course keep you informed about when they will take place and what results they will yield.