Grosseto province

Cattle standing on a mountain with the sun rising in the background.

Grosseto province

Case Studies | Italy

A map of Italy showing the location of Grosetto in the west.

Introduction

The study area is located in the province of Grosseto in Tuscany, where rolling hills stretch from the Mediterranean coast in the west to the Apennine mountains in the east. The landscape is largely dominated by semi-agricultural land interspersed with woodlands. The terrain varies from agricultural areas interspersed with Mediterranean maquis to oak and chestnut forests interwoven with pastures. Woody cultivations, primarily olive groves and vineyards, add to the region's distinctive character.

Wolves were almost eradicated in the late 1960s, with recolonisation only beginning in the early 1980s. Livestock farming in the area is mainly small-scale and semi-extensive, involving the raising of sheep and cattle. Based on previous research, CoCo focused on the areas of the Maremma region where livestock depredation and human–wildlife conflict are most prevalent, particularly in the central and southern parts of the province.

A sheep herd and livestock guarding dog in Grosseto.

OVERVIEW

Municipalities

Campagnatico, Grosseto, Scansano, Magliano in Toscana, Manciano, Orbetello, Civitella Paganico, Roccalbegna, Castel del Piano, Capalbio.

Geographical size

1468 km².

Human population

124,562 inhabitants live in the ten municipalities that were surveyed.

Number of livestock farmers

409 farms with cattle (17,261 animals) and 517 farms with sheep and/or goats (87,322 sheep).

Livestock farming systems

Mostly semi-extensive sheep and cattle farming, along with beef cattle and horse farming, ranging from low-input family operations to larger commercial farms.

Large carnivore species

Apennine grey wolf.

Wolf population

22-24 packs.

SOCIOECONOMIC CONTEXT

Agriculture and tourism are the backbone of Grosseto’s economy. The territory is almost entirely covered by agricultural land (47.3%) and forests (39.3%), while the remaining area consists of shrubland and urban areas. The lowland and coastal vegetation is dominated by Mediterranean maquis, evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) and cork oak (Quercus suber), transitioning into oak (e.g. Quercus pubescens) and beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests towards the east and the Apennines.

Recent genetic analyses of wolf DNA have revealed that around 50% of the wolves in the province show evidence of past crossbreeding with dogs. This highlights the need to prevent wolf-dog hybridisation.

Despite an overall high level of development and urbanisation in certain areas, some of the municipalities in the Grosseto province are included in the Regional Strategy for Inner Areas (2021-2027), as they are distant from major urban centres and essential services.

The varied landscape in the Maremma area. The variation makes it difficult to implement preventive measures such as mobile electric fences.

A day shelter with a flock of sheep inside. These are common in the area during to avoid higher temperatures and prevent predation in summer.

FARMING CONTEXT

The province hosts the largest share of livestock farms in Tuscany, with 24.3% of farms owning cattle, and 30.8% owning sheep. Farming systems range from low-input family operations to larger operations. Many farms also cereals, wine, and olives. Sheep (such as Appenninica and Lacaune breeds) and cattle (such as Chianina) are reared for meat and milk/cheese production.

Farms and sheep raised for milk production have declined over time, whilst cattle and sheep for meat production have remained stable.
Grosseto has 920 sheep and goat farms, housing 2,458 goats and 122,919 sheep. Whilst 39% of farms focus on milk and 41% on meat production, milk farms account for 86% of total animals.
There are 660 cattle farms in Grosseto, housing 23,856 animals. Around 10% of farms focus on milk production, whilst 89% focus on meat.

To receive compensation payments, farmers must implement at least one livestock damage prevention measure. An insurance-based system introduced in 2005 saw poor uptake. Under the current National CAP Strategic Plan (SRA17), annual payments are provided per hectare of grazed land, to promote management techniques that enable coexistence with large carnivores.

Main Challenges:

Perceived excessively high wildlife densities (wild boars, roe deer and wolves).
Lack of cohesion and cooperation amongst farmers.

LOCAL CONFLICT ASSOCIATED WITH LARGE CARNIVORES

Number of attacks:

Between 2015 and 2017, a total of 1080 attacks resulted in 2,632 animal losses. However, a research project implementing preventive fencing achieved a 33% reduction in attacks and a 31% reduction in animals killed. In 2019, only around 700 sheep were reported killed.

Social conflict:

Polarisation among stakeholder groups regarding wolf conservation and management, including a certain level of division among farmers.
The compensation system is perceived as insufficient, failing to account for increased workloads and stress.
Non-lethal preventive measures, such as guard dogs and electric fencing, are mostly used around farms. Their use seems to have decreased in high-altitude summer pastures, particularly for cattle farming, and in areas frequented by tourists.
Wolves entering human-inhabited spaces, including towns and private properties, even during the day.
Widespread belief that the return of the wolves was largely due to reintroductions conducted by environmentalists and conservationists.

A white livestock guarding dog puppy is sitting in the grass. In the back an adult livestock guarding dog is laying in the grass. Behind a flock of sheep is grazing.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.