Converge Cooperativa da Cova da Beira

Converge Cooperativa da Cova da Beira is a movement of citizens and organisations working together to increase self-sufficiency and resilience in the Cova da Beira bio-region, which spans Covilhã, Fundão and Belmonte. The cooperative is registered as an Integral Cooperative (Cooperativa Integral), meaning it is organised in multiple sections: agricultural, crafts and consumption, among others. Much of its recent public activity centres on participatory governance. Through a series of Assembleias Populares (Popular Assemblies) held in Alpedrinha with the association Bioeco Orgânica, the cooperative has brought residents together to discuss how decisions about the territory could be made more collectively, drawing on examples from other Portuguese and international cooperatives and regenerative networks. The cooperative is also a partner in Ash2Soil (part of the EU-funded Soiltribes project), which works on regenerating landscapes affected by wildfires. On 10 October 2026, an open session at Quinta do Céu in Casegas, Covilhã, will combine science, hands-on fieldwork and art to explore how water retention structures, modelled on beaver dams, can help soil recover after fire. Converge positions its work around themes of regenerative and circular economy, shared governance and community resilience, and it runs regular open events, shared lunches and registration-based gatherings to bring people into that process. Contact for the cooperative goes through Filipa Costa and Ricardo Carvalho.