The digital catalogue of companies, products and services supporting the international promotion of the Alentejo Silvestre resources chain is available online at https://alentejonaturalproducts.pt

It is an action of the project “Internationalisation of wild resources 2020” supported by the PROVERE programme. It is translated into 3 languages (Spanish, French and English).

Produced by NERBE/AEBAL – Business Association of Baixo Alentejo e Litoral, in partnership with ACIECALM – Associação Comercial, Industrial e Empresarial do Concelho de Almodôvar, ADCMoura – Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Concelho de Moura, ARPTA-Agência Regional de Promoção Turística do Alentejo, Turismo do Alentejo, ERT, the municipality of Almodôvar and the municipality of Mértola, it is aimed at companies established in the Alentejo region, which produce and/or commercialise products and services from silvester resources, i.e. honey and its derivatives, mushrooms, prickly pear, arbutus, aromatic and medicinal plants, hunting resources and inland water fishing resources, and which wish to internationalise their activity in the German, Spanish, French and Dutch markets

To join the catalogue, interested entrepreneurs simply fill in a short form on the platform.

In addition to the digital catalogue, the project partners are also developing :

– Market guides to support the internationalisation of the natural resources sector for target markets;
– International prospecting in target markets to identify market opportunities for the sector;
– Prospecting visits to the Alentejo region to discover the regional offer, through a programme of visits and b2b meetings with companies in the sector;

Participation in international trade fairs to promote the Alentejo region’s silvery resources.

The partners hope that this project will contribute to promoting the competitiveness of the silvestre resources sector, as a sustainable territory-based initiative, improving the success of the internationalisation of its SMEs, through the development of innovative mechanisms for prospecting, knowledge and access to international markets and the stimulation of innovative collective initiatives.

“We bring to the table not just tasty dishes, prepared by hands full of stories: we also bring inclusion, solidarity and tolerance.”

Another project made by refugees and for refugees, mainly from Syria. “We asked a Syrian student living in Lisbon what she missed most. She replied: ‘Pita bread!’ ” This was the starting point for an absolutely pioneering integration project in Portugal: an Arab food restaurant, called Mezze, where refugees from the Middle East can receive training and get a job. This project makes the most of the skills that many women and young people bring with them and provides the tools that will ensure their work and their identity are valued. Thus, it creates sustainable employability solutions and contributes to true inclusion.

Mezze means sitting at the table with friends and family, sharing snacks and conversation. It is a lengthy tasting of small, colourful appetizing dishes where bread is always present. And this project by Associação Pão a Pão is all about sharing, providing work and stability to a group of 10 refugees, mainly Syrians. It started with organising group dinners at the Santa Clara market, but quickly evolved into the opening of a restaurant. Not only because there was no Syrian restaurant in Lisbon, but also because starting one would serve multiple purposes: help reintegrate people (“Portugal has many measures to welcome Syrian refugees, but not many when it comes to reintegrating them into society”) and show the Portuguese the Syrian culture. In addition to gastronomy, they also organize workshops and debates, which help to bridge gaps, reduce ignorance and dispel prejudices.

Mezze opened in Lisbon at the Mercado de Arroios, in September 2017. Its success in the integration of refugees is an example, highlighted namely by Prime Minister António Costa, President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos. Associação Pão a Pão won the social entrepreneurship award from the PSA Foundation – Peugeot Citroen (France) and also obtained funding from the Julia Taft Refugee Fund.

Mezze

by Associação Pão a Pão – Integration of refugees from the Middle East

paoapao@mezze.pt

facebook.com/paoapao.associacao

instagram.com/mezze_portugal

https://www.mezze.pt/

The partnership of the project “AlimentAÇÃO! – Short Agri-Food Circuits for the Human Right to Adequate Food” project, funded by the National Rural Network measure/PDR2020, launched today, March 16th, the campaign AlimentAÇÃO! – Local Public Policies for the Right to Adequate Food campaign.

 Short Agri-Food Routes and Local Food Systems have recently become even more relevant in our lives, since they allow us to buy fresh products without leaving home or with less travel, thus contributing to revitalising the local economy and supporting family farming. Food is a human right!

In recent years, in Portugal, regulations have been created in line with international treaties and conventions to guarantee the right to food and consolidate them in public policies, an example of which is the creation of the National Food and Nutritional Security Council, among others. But it is important to move from paper to action.

Only with a strong positive perception of the future can the conditions be created for the emergence of new men and women farmers, with creativity and skills to develop models of agricultural production and marketing able to meet food needs at local level and to assume special relevance in the distribution chain. Public policies should not be governed by quotas and market logic, but by the satisfaction of human needs.

More information about the FOOD! project can be found at: www.animar-dl.pt

Quality and designations of origin are in the spotlight

The different activities carried out had as a common theme the quality processes and appellations of origin of food products and the meaning of the certification seals according to the reality of the countries represented

Moura olive oil, produced by the Moura and Barrancos agricultural cooperative, was chosen in the Portuguese delegation’s presentation as an example of a certified local product, which ended with a tasting session, accompanied by bread and honey from Alentejo, which were much appreciated by the participants.

In this area, study visits were made to two wine production houses to learn about the history, terroir and know-how, but also the problems and challenges, including those related to climate change, as well as to a sturgeon breeding and caviar production unit, which is awaiting PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) certification

This meeting also provided an opportunity to ask: How can we make quality, locally produced and environmentally friendly food accessible? How can we raise awareness about the challenges of food in the future?

In response to these challenges, this meeting provided an opportunity to develop skills through the exchange of good practices and knowledge on sustainable food, local production and heritage enhancement around 4 axes:

1. To discover culinary and gastronomic heritage practices in the fields of sustainable food and the promotion of local products;

2. Quality and origin certification seals; Social issues and sustainable food; Local food heritage; Trends in consumption and distribution of local products;

3. Tools to propose innovative and collaborative ideas to improve and enhance their local food heritage, working in project mode;

4. An enriching discovery of the culinary heritage of southern Europe.