Author: Mar Delgado (UCO, MOVING coordinator)
In September 2020, 23 partners from across Europe initiated MOVING, a multi-actor project aimed at investigating how mountain value chains can enhance the sustainability and resilience of mountain areas through participatory methods. MOVING, which stands for MOuntain Valorisation through INterconnectedness and Green growth, brought together over 1,000 stakeholders and 600 youngsters.
Mountain areas are understood as social and ecological systems where people and nature continuously interact, producing both private and public goods and services. An important part of these interactions is made through mountain value chains, which encompass the activities that bring mountain products or services from producers to consumers.
MOVING has conducted the most comprehensive study to date on the vulnerability of mountain land-use systems in Europe. This involved integrating the empirical knowledge of local actors with scientific insights to better understand the social and economic dynamics of mountain areas. Our research revealed that mountains are fragile ecosystems, vulnerable to significant threats such as climate change and demographic decline. Even small changes can have catastrophic effects on the entire socio-ecological system. However, we identified over 160 adaptive mechanisms that can be used to face this vulnerability. Unfortunately, most of them are not yet in use, and public and private support is needed to make them feasible.
The project also identified over 450 different mountain value chains that deliver public and private goods crucial for the resilience and sustainability of these areas and society in general. An in-depth analysis of 23 mountain value chains — ranging from crop-based, animal-based, and alcohol-based to tourism and the knowledge economy — showed that the assemblage (interconnectedness) of mountain value chains delivers economic, social, and environmental benefits to these territories. However, the economic benefits often outweigh the social and environmental ones.
Experts from the 23 mountain areas evaluated the contribution of MOVING’s seven key objectives designed to boost sustainability and resilience, prioritising social aspects like human capital and cooperation. Over 35% of the experts highlighted socio-ecological balance as a major priority, and more than 80% recognised the importance of mountain value chains in addressing social issues, such as talent retention, economic diversification, and the prevention of depopulation.
Since mountains face interlinked challenges, they need concerted and multi-level interventions. MOVING advocates private and public actions to enhance mountain resilience and sustainability. As these are fragile environments, they should focus on niche products rather than mass-consumption ones. Consumers can play a key role in this process by paying premium prices that reflect the mountains’ vital contributions to society. The added value is maximised when local stakeholders control the value chains and when most of the value chain stages are based within the mountain areas.
Additionally, mountain areas need capacity-building initiatives tailored to place-specific and diversified skills, enabling them to leverage specialised knowledge and general skills. There is also a high need for community-building, particularly fostering social bonding skills that promote collective action and highlight the role of mountain actors in providing essential goods and services for all.
And last but not least, mountain areas require policies that specifically address their unique challenges. We found that most EU policies and strategies fail to address the specific needs of mountain areas or are not adapted to the expectations of local stakeholders, reducing their impact and effectiveness. To address this, MOVING has developed a Policy Roadmap based on 8 blocks, designed to create an enabling environment for “unlocking the power” of mountain product value chains. To support mountain stakeholders in crafting context-specific demands for effective policy formulation, the project also provides a Policy Design Toolkit as a practical guide based on the proven participatory methods used across our 23 mountain regions, ensuring that policies are relevant, build trust, and foster collaboration.
Final demands highlight the necessity for specific data and indicators regarding the environmental and socioeconomic conditions of mountain regions. Additionally, there is a need to develop targeted research and innovation projects to address identified challenges, such as the lack of technologies suited to steep terrains and limited connectivity and access to digital technologies.