Regional Mountain Conference

Extensive agricultural practices are widely recognized for their positive contributions to alpine biodiversity and rural livelihoods. Nevertheless, their integration into contemporary conservation policies remains limited. Current measures, such as agri-environmental subsidies have proven insufficient to halt the abandonment of alpine grasslands.

In recent years, conservation (shep)herding initiatives in turn mobilize pastoral practices as technical tools to meet ecological targets. While these initiatives achieve short-term ecological goals, they risk failing to sustain knowledge transmission and the place-based commitment necessary for guaranteeing long-term positive ecological and social outcomes, especially outside of core conservation areas.

In this contribution, I argue that maintaining alpine biodiversity, strengthening rural livelihoods, and fostering social cohesion require a relational approach to conservation. Rather than framing conservation as the prevention of ecological loss, I follow calls to understand it as sustaining reciprocal human–other-than-human relations. By discussing emerging alternatives, such as shepherding schools which ensure the continuation of traditional and place-specific knowledge, this contribution investigates potential pathways toward convivial conservation in alpine cultural landscapes.