The second Assembly of the Montado Living Lab took place on 2 June at Tapada de Coelheiros in Igrejinha, Évora. The meeting brought together 38 participants representing 24 organisations to discuss the main results achieved during the project's first year and plan activities until the end of 2025, in an initiative organised in partnership with Tapada de Coelheiros, one of the members of the Montado Living Lab.
The Montado Living Lab, promoted by the CHANGE Associated Laboratory, aims to enhance the regeneration of the Montado's agro-sylvo-pastoral system. The initiative brings together the Associated Laboratory's research units (CE3C, CENSE and MED), producer associations, public administration bodies, local development organisations, companies and managers of Montado areas.
In his opening presentation, João Raposeira, representative of Tapada de Coelheiros, which hosted the event, shared some of the types of management practices that have been applied on that estate, with results relating to improving the resilience of the various agricultural systems (Montado, vineyards, etc.), ecosystems and ecosystem services.
Teresa Pinto Correia, president of CHANGE and a researcher at MED, highlighted the main objectives of the assembly as being not only to present the results obtained, but also to encourage active participation and dialogue between the different stakeholders.
During the meeting, participants emphasised the need to build a model that reflects the importance of the Montado in the regional landscape and its sustainable future. Communication about the value of the Montado was also emphasised, and the creation of spaces dedicated to sharing ideas and strategies was proposed.
The presentation of the preliminary results of the soil analyses, forest inventory and carbon stock, led by Denis Medina, sparked a rich and participatory discussion. Among the topics highlighted was the importance of standardising data recording to ensure greater consistency and usefulness in future analyses.
During the Assembly, Susana Filipe, Executive Director of the Montado Living Lab, presented an overview of the activities carried out in 2024 and the initiatives planned for 2025. This discussion highlighted the importance of identifying and prioritising the challenges associated with the Montado, which will serve as the basis for both research activities and training and capacity-building initiatives in the Montado.
The event ended with a visit to Tapada de Coelheiros, where participants were able to see the various areas of the estate that have already benefited from interventions with positive results for the soil, biodiversity and crops.
