Review of 55 studies finds montado research overlooks consumers, workers and civil society

A University of Évora doctoral student, working with two supervising researchers, reviewed 55 scientific publications on Portugal's montado and Spain's dehesa. The results, published in Agroforestry Systems, group the research into four themes: cultural heritage and rural tourism, biodiversity conservation, public policy and resource management, and livestock and grazing. The studies mostly reflect the views of landowners, farmers and land managers, while consumers, rural workers, businesses and civil society groups are rarely examined. The authors call for a more integrated, participative approach and for policies better suited to these landscapes, which face climate change, degradation and rural abandonment.