Impact of the Castilla la Mancha Rural Development Programme on the livestock sector.

This thematic evaluation report of the Spanish 2014-2020 RDP assessed the RDP's impact on the livestock sector since the beginning of the programming period. The livestock sector is relevant for Castilla-La Mancha and is therefore present transversally in the RDP, with numerous measures that plan actions to support it, aiming to boost both competitiveness and sustainability.

Taking into account the importance of the livestock sector in the development of the RDP strategy, the objective of this evaluation activity was to understand the impact of the RDP measures on the competitiveness of the livestock sector, the related food chain and the environment.

The methodological approach is mixed, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods. In the early stages, a quantitative analysis was conducted using data from the support files, complemented by survey results from beneficiaries of the aid. The qualitative analysis has been used to obtain information on how and why the Programme has worked, and to detect possible indirect or unexpected effects.

The quantitative analysis is based on Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) indicators (result indicators R1, R3, R4 and targets T3, T4, T5, T6, T9, T12, T16) and a list of around 20 additional indicators.

The analysis tries to respond to the following evaluation questions: (1) to what extent has the RDP affected the competitiveness of the livestock sector?; (2) to what extent has the RDP affected the food chain linked to the livestock sector?; and (3) to what extent has the RDP affected the environment and climate change through the livestock sector?

The main problems encountered in the development of this evaluation were an overload of work (evaluation activities overlapping with other usual tasks of the actors involved, with the administration staff being especially overburdened) and the failure to take into account information on beneficiaries from the previous period. Additionally, survey responses provide qualitative information and relative trends, partly because of the relatively low response rate.

RDP support has been important for the sector in recent years, as rising input prices, the challenges posed by the climate and reduced consumption due to the pandemic have had a negative impact.

Measures related to the livestock sector are of a different nature, such as: training and advice, promotion of quality schemes, investments in farm modernisation and restructuring, and boosting the food agribusiness, incorporation of young farmers through the creation of companies, or the promotion of sustainable practices and animal welfare in the livestock sector.

Training activities addressing different aspects of livestock production have been promoted, including animal welfare, beekeeping, grazing, cheesemaking, dairy products and organic livestock.

The RDP support has helped modernise 468 livestock farms, with 61.2% of young people and 19.4% of women, and has created 662 livestock companies by young people, of which 32% are women.

The modernization of 109 agri-food industries has been supported, mobilising an investment of EUR 223 652 902.90. 6.3% of the operations have been aimed at productions with a differentiated quality figure, either organic production or another different figure.

Innovation has been present in 12.6% of farm investments. 26% of young people who have created companies have applied innovations on their farms and 27% information and communication technologies (ICT.)

The RDP has impacted the livestock-linked food chain by supporting participation in quality schemes or organic livestock farming. Promotion actions have also been supported to encourage the consumption of products with differentiated quality.

In addition to the aforementioned organic livestock, biodiversity has been supported through beekeeping activities, the maintenance of endangered native breeds and the promotion of extensive grazing.

Animal welfare has also been supported in 1 657 farms, promoting competitiveness, better quality control and productive performance, as well as a lower use of antibiotics.

The boost in economic activity in the agricultural sector has had an impact on population fixation, as reflected in the relatively high proportions of beneficiaries residing in municipalities with extreme or intense depopulation (70.4% of young people who have created a company, 53.8% of owners who have modernized their holding, 71.51% of beekeeping farms, 74% of beneficiaries of aids to extensive grazing, 67.81% of organic farmers and 75.61% of beneficiaries of animal welfare support).