Workshop in Boticas Brings Rural Communities Together to Discuss Sustainable Food Systems and Land Management
On March 21–22, 2025, a two-day workshop took place in Boticas, bringing together representatives from 22 rural communities in the region, all part of CAPOLIB – the Agro-Rural Cooperative of Boticas. This event was organized within the scope of Work Package 6 (WP6) of the CERV RurALL project and focused on the sustainability of food systems, with particular attention to local agricultural practices.
The workshop addressed key environmental challenges facing the region, including water and soil use, pollution, wildfires, nature restoration, and the impacts of climate change. Discussions also explored how national and EU-level public policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy, respond to these challenges. A central theme was the promotion of active citizenship, encouraging greater community involvement in decision-making processes that shape their future.
This workshop was carefully planned following a preparatory meeting held in 2024 with local communities to identify their priorities and ensure the sessions reflected their main concerns.
One of the main conclusions was the identification of ongoing challenges in applying European legislation at the local level, as well as the persistent issue of land abandonment, which significantly increases the risk of wildfires.
On the second day of the workshop, participants visited a communal land area (“baldio”) currently managed collectively for grazing. This model of land management has restored the area, significantly reduced wildfire risks, and created a sustainable space for grazing Barrosã cattle, a native breed of the region. Inspired by this success, participants expressed a strong interest in replicating the model in other communal lands. This topic will be further developed in the next workshop, scheduled for May 2025.
