José Montoya’s Resilience

Drought is one of the major issues addressed in recent years within our society. According to the Fabra Observatory, 2023 was the second driest year on record, marking a much better outlook for 2024.

Sheep grazing contributes to the clearing of the underbrush, enhances biodiversity, and prevents the risk of fires. However, despite all these benefits, there is only one livestock farmer in Barcelona: José Montoya, a shepherd descended from a family of cattle ranchers who has been the only one grazing in Collserola Park since 1995. Montoya inherited the permit from his father, but in the 2023 call for applications, he lost the competition, according to him, due to an administrative error.

For this same reason, Montoya challenged the decision of the tender before the Catalan Public Procurement Court, which is pending a second-instance ruling. He also sought help from the Montcada i Reixac City Council, which, he claims, remained on the sidelines at all times.

Even so, José decided not to leave the public enclosure where he kept his sheep, a total of 300, until he found a solution for himself and his family. However, as a result of pressure from the public administration and the lack of support from his sector, in June 2024, he decided to sell them and retire permanently.

Currently, José is still awaiting the final resolution of the bankruptcy proceedings and only has two years of unemployment benefits.

This report was published in Revista La Mira. You can read here.