Press Release for Co-creating Coexistence (CoCo) project

With growing challenges in balancing pastoralism and wildlife conservation across Europe, researchers from Umeå University and Adelphi have launched an initiative to map out the fragmented policy landscape. This effort, led by Umeå University researchers Auvikki de Boon and Camilla Sandström, alongside Adelphi researcher Katrina Marsden, is part of the Horizon Europe-funded Co-creating Coexistence (CoCo) project. The goal is to identify opportunities for cross-country learning to mitigate conflicts and improve policy coordination at both national and EU levels.

Sheep in field

ImageAndreas Felske

A Fragmented Policy Landscape

Pastoralism-wildlife coexistence presents a complex challenge, requiring diverse policies across multiple sectors to work in harmony. These policies must address various facets of the challenge and target a wide range of stakeholders with differing interests. Over time, pastoralism-wildlife policies have evolved through incremental changes to adapt to changing circumstances. This has resulted in a fragmented policy landscape, making it difficult to determine whether the policies work well together or counteract each other.

Dr. Auvikki de Boon, Researcher at the Department of Political Science

ImageMattias Pettersson

– For too long, policies addressing pastoralism and wildlife have developed in isolation, says Dr. Auvikki de Boon.  – Through this research, we aim to provide clarity on how these policies interact and where improvements can be made.

A Collaborative Approach to Policy Mapping

The CoCo project team is conducting a structured policy analysis across 12 European countries through a series of online workshops. These workshops bring together CoCo project partners who are experts in pastoralism-wildlife interactions in their respective countries.

In addition to the workshops, the research incorporates insights from surveys with key stakeholders, including pastoralists, hunters, landowners, and environmental groups, as well as expert interviews. These perspectives will help assess how policies function on the ground and where gaps or conflicts exist.

Through this structured approach, the team will facilitate cross-country comparisons and identify best practices. The findings will be compiled into a report for the EU, scientific publications, and policy briefs to guide decision-makers in creating more comprehensive and effective policies.

Semi-domestic reindeer

ImageCoCo

CoCo Project background

CoCo is a research project that aims to strengthen the interaction between pastoralism and wildlife management in Europe. The aim is to promote policies and practices that both benefit pastoralism and protect biodiversity in a long-term sustainable way. The project runs from November 2024 to December 2027 and is funded by the EU's Horizon Europe programme. Coco is a collaborative project between researchers, policymakers, pastoralists, and other stakeholders in 12 European countries to study how conflicts between pastoralism and wildlife management can be managed.

About the CoCo Project

The Co-creating Coexistence (CoCo) project seeks to enhance the interaction between pastoralism and wildlife management in Europe by promoting policies and practices that support both pastoral livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in a sustainable manner. Running from November 2024 to December 2027, the project is funded by the EU's Horizon Europe programme. CoCo brings together researchers, policymakers, pastoralists, and other stakeholders across 12 European countries to explore strategies for managing conflicts between pastoralism and wildlife.