Schools of Pastoralism. Between Institutions, Groups of Interest, Local/ Regional Stakeholders and National/ European Frameworks for Rural Development

The paper addresses the creation and development of a National School of Pastoralism in Italy (several and multifocal cases) and its impact in the very defi-nition, enhancement and special profiling of a new and more sustainable way to continuing and regenerating extensive pastoralism today in the country. The anal-ysis is realized comparing, between lights and shadows, the different educational projects to other international experiences such as the French and Spanish schools of pastoralism. Local actors and professionals are often scarcely included in the process of enhancement and relaunching of such a sector or addressed in a very top-down way. The a. is presently involved in several Schools of pastoralism and she thinks that a first critical evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses can be advanced. 1. The first case will address the process of construction of a national school of pastoralism by a group of institutions, universities and professional/experts associations, the SNAP (National School for Pastoralism) firstly released on September 2022 in Piedmont and Lombardy, promoted by CREA (Center of Research on Agrarian Economy), CARIPLO Foundation (Bank) and the National Rural Network of the Ministry of Agriculture. 2. The second case will address a School for Shepherds in Sardinia promoted by a local LAG in the framework of an overall proposal of sector regeneration with Regional Funds deriving from European programs for Rural Development (School of Pastoralism of the GAL Anglona-Soros). 3. The third case will approach the ongoing path toward a School of Pastoralism promoted by an international project based in Tuscany academic/research clusters and European funds (SHEPforBIO). 4. Finally, the fourth case is focused on a small and already experimented course on extensive pastoralism proposed by the Mobile History Yards in the region Marche: a multidisciplinary training offer for shepherds, herders, cooperants, policymakers and experts (Shepherds are Guardians of the Future).