Minha Terra – Federação Portuguesa de Associações de Desenvolvimento Local

Minha Terra, the Portuguese Federation of Local Development Associations, was set up in February 2000 by a group of local development associations (ADLs) working in rural Portugal. Based in Lisbon, at Rua Bartolomeu Dias 172, it now represents 58 member associations, from Entre Douro e Minho to the Algarve. The federation coordinates and supports Local Action Groups (GALs) that manage LEADER and DLBC funding, the EU rural development schemes behind small investments in tourism, commerce, agri-food diversification and the circular economy. Its website reports regularly on open calls, such as support for agri-industry investment in Dão, Lafões e Alto Paiva, or diversification schemes on the Estrela-Sul and Terras do Baixo Guadiana. It publishes the magazine *Olhar o Mundo Rural*, now at issue 67, and has released a book, *Receitas e Sabores dos Territórios Rurais*, gathering 245 recipes from 40 rural territories. Beyond funding administration, Minha Terra runs the Pacto Rural initiative, a series of debates on rural housing, mobility and territorial competitiveness, and takes part in EU-level projects such as RUDI and Madrilusa, the latter supporting young migrants. It organises training sessions on topics from planning law (RJUE) to the circular economy, and hosts an annual public encounter, this year titled 'Desenvolvimento Local em Tempos de Transição: Comunidades, Impacto e Democracia Económica', scheduled for 17 September at the IEFP auditorium in Xabregas, Lisbon. Minha Terra doesn't run projects on the ground itself. Its work is coordination: connecting dozens of local associations, sharing funding information, and representing rural development interests in national and European policy discussions.