Basketball league turns abandoned olive grove into agroforest

The Portuguese Basketball Federation and Liga Betclic are converting a disused olive grove of about 2,500 square metres in the Serra da Arrábida into an agroforestry site called Floresta da Liga. The project, linked to the UN's Sports for Climate Action programme, is organised into 24 hexagonal plant clusters, one for each men's and women's league team, planted with native species. Supported by sustainability organisation Biovilla, it aims to restore soil health, boost water retention and carbon capture, and reduce erosion. The site, within a UNESCO biosphere reserve, is expected to open to the public in spring, with full maturity projected over five years.