Approximately 40 partner entities gathered at the University of Évora on January 8, 2024, to formalize the signing of the collaboration protocol aimed at creating the Living Lab for the regeneration of the Montado agro-silvo-pastoral system.
The Montado Living Lab aims to be "a system of interaction between producers, associations, public administration, and researchers to create applicable knowledge in practice management," according to Teresa Pinto Correia, president of CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute and researcher at MED at the University of Évora. In addition to MED, the other R&D units that integrate the CHANGE Associate Laboratory, CENSE and cE3c, will provide knowledge to complement various research activities, informing the development and adaptation of public policies in this area.
During the same event, the Soil Chair was launched, a partnership between the University of Évora and the company BOVICER, owner of Herdade da Parreira in Montemor-o-Novo, recognized as an example of sustainability in agricultural production based on Conservation Agriculture.
In addition to the research entities, the Montado Living Laboratory involves the participation of Producer and Local Development Associations, Public Administration Entities, Companies related to the Montado System, and Owners of Montado Areas to fulfill the purpose of this living laboratory. The purpose of conducting experimental activities and validate solutions in experimental plots provided by partner entities, with the aim of increasing the resilience of the Montado, particularly through soil regenerative processes, focusing also on pasture, forest cover, unique elements, and biodiversity, always based on scientific knowledge. And the purpose of implementing a systemic and co-construction approach, involving all partners, to identify, put into practice, and monitor the effects of using applicable solutions in the context of real and varied operations, which can serve as a basis for formulating public policies to support productive systems based on montados, contributing to their sustainability.
In turn, the Soil Chair aims to support the development of research on regenerative soil practices in the context of the Alentejo region, promote conservation agriculture, ensure the collection, organization, and analysis of data from the respective works so that they are available for research purposes by national research system entities, and finally, contribute to the training and development of researchers specializing in soil health regeneration methods in the context of the Alentejo region, as well as entrepreneurs and technicians.
