Projecto Matéria
Projecto Matéria is a Portuguese non-profit platform, founded in 2016 by chef João Rodrigues and Vânia Rodrigues, that celebrates and connects small, family-owned farmers, fishermen and producers who practise sustainable, respectful food production across Portugal.
Projecto Matéria was founded in 2016 by chef João Rodrigues and his wife Vânia Rodrigues as a response to a global food system that distances people from the origin of what they eat. The non-profit platform works as a living encyclopaedia of Portugal's edible heritage, mapping and celebrating small, family-owned farmers, fishermen and producers who work with good agricultural practices and animal production in respect for nature and the environment.
The project features stories of producers such as Quinta Anema, a biological farming social project founded by Dutch couple Jan and Elisabeth Anema in 1987; Porco Saloio, a project dedicated to the native Porco Malhado de Alcobaça pig breed; Queijaria do Armindo, guardians of traditional Serra da Estrela cheese; and Bio Kairós, a social inclusion farming project in the Azores. Through its website, map, calendar and community sections, Projecto Matéria connects chefs, consumers and the public with the guardians of Portuguese territory, know-how and knowledge, ensuring these traditions endure through time.
Built under the same umbrella, Residência is João Rodrigues's related life project, launched in 2023 as an ongoing dialogue with land, memory and community, exploring Portugal's culinary heritage across its regions including Algarve, Alentejo, Lisboa, Centro, Porto e Norte, Madeira and the Azores. Together, these initiatives form a living cartography of Portugal's gastronomic soul, preserving traditional knowledge and honouring the people who quietly sustain it away from the spotlight.
Our Goal
To reconnect chefs, consumers and communities with the people who produce and harvest Portugal's food, celebrating and preserving small-scale farmers, fishermen and producers who work with respect for the land and sea.
Our Wishes
The project seeks to expand its network of producers and communities across Portugal's regions and to raise awareness of traditional, sustainable food practices among chefs and the public.
