Associação In Loco

Founded in 1988, Associação In Loco is a non-profit civic organisation dedicated to local development in the Algarve region of Portugal, with its headquarters in São Brás de Alportel. Recognised as a development association by IEFP in 1991 and later granted public utility status, the organisation has spent over three decades building partnerships with municipalities, schools, businesses, informal groups and public and private entities across Portugal and internationally. In Loco's mission centres on improving quality of life through permanent education, civic participation and solidarity, seeking to meet present needs without compromising the future. Its work spans several strategic themes: local development and citizen participation, environmental sustainability, education and awareness-raising, vocational training, and the promotion of the Mediterranean Diet as a living, sustainable cultural heritage. Among its current initiatives is the WatHer project (Water Heritage in European Rural Mediterranean), which investigates and supports the safeguarding of traditional water management systems, such as the Levada da Fonte Filipe in Querença, through community engagement, drone surveys and collaborative agreements with landowners and local stakeholders. The organisation is also a driving force behind the Desafio Vegetariano (Vegetarian Challenge), promoting sustainable, plant-based approaches to the Mediterranean Diet through gastronomic events, recipes and educational campaigns held in partnership with municipalities such as Tavira. With a technical team covering territorial animation, local development structures, administration and finance, In Loco continues to combine research, community listening and hands-on fieldwork to strengthen the resilience, identity and sustainable future of Algarve's territories.