Sustainable Living
See today's Pulse →
Pulse

5 October 2026

Good morning. Today brings grazing flocks on an Algarve golf course, a rally of electric cars across Madeira and a village that will plough the old way once more.

Nature at work

Sheep and goats maintain Algarve golf resort grounds naturally

At Amendoeira Golf Resort in Silves, a flock of 70 sheep and 20 goats owned by shepherd André Gonçalves grazes daily across the 270-hectare property, controlling weeds, brambles and undergrowth around its two golf courses. The arrangement, running for over a decade, cuts the resort's cleaning and wildfire-prevention costs while giving the shepherd free grazing land near his home. Resort staff say the practice began informally and now suits both sides, also reviving a pastoral tradition on land once used as a farm. The resort plans guided tours and a 2027 calendar featuring Algarve shepherds, with proceeds from a gala on 18 November going towards vets' costs.

AlgarveFood & AgricultureMore on this story →

Quinta Ecológica da Moita to hold scientific illustration course

The Quinta Ecológica da Moita (QEM) will host a 16-hour black-and-white Scientific Illustration course on 17 and 18 this month, led by Davina Falcão, who has a background in Biology and Scientific Illustration. The programme covers drawing techniques for observing and representing biodiversity, including fieldsketching sessions outdoors. It is aimed at both professionals and nature-drawing enthusiasts. Registration closes on the 9th, with limited places, materials and coffee-break included. Fees are 120 euros for BioLiving or Irmãos da Misericórdia de Aveiro members and 130 euros for non-members, with proceeds funding nature conservation work at the site.

CentroEducation & Eco-tourismRead more at Diário de Aveiro ↗

Needs attention

Portuguese households top EU food waste rankings per capita

Eurostat data show Portuguese households wasted 105kg of food per person in 2024, the highest household figure in the EU and well above the bloc's average of 69kg. Overall, Portugal generated 161kg of food waste per inhabitant, the fifth-highest total in the EU, behind Cyprus, Denmark, Greece and Romania. Retail and food service each contributed significant shares, while primary production and processing added further waste. Across the EU, total food waste reached 57.9 million tonnes in 2024, up 0.7% from 2023, with households responsible for 53% of the bloc's total.

Food & AgricultureRead more at Jornal PT Green ↗

Opinion piece questions olive oil blends sold abroad under Portugal's name

An opinion piece by olive oil cooperative officials argues Portugal risks devaluing its olive oil reputation abroad. While domestic law bans blending olive oil with other vegetable oils for the home market, EU rules allow such blends to be produced in Portugal for export, including to Brazil, where they are sometimes marketed under Portuguese-sounding names like "Tempero Português". The authors cite a 2021 court ruling against a product sold in Brazil as containing mostly soybean oil despite labelling suggesting extra virgin olive oil. They warn that growing competition from Spain in Brazil makes protecting Portugal's olive oil reputation, not just export volumes, essential.

Food & AgricultureRead more at Agroportal ↗

Cleaner ways to move and make

Czech duo win Eco Rally Madeira 2026 in electric vehicle event

Czech pair Milan Bydzovsky and Petr Timura, driving a Peugeot E-2008 GT, won the Eco Rally Madeira, the penultimate round of Portugal's New Energies Championship – PRIO, which also counts towards the FIA Eco Rally Cup. The event, held across Funchal, Calheta, Machico and Porto Moniz, drew 31 teams including 12 foreign crews and eight from Madeira. Other winners included a Spanish pair in the Energy Efficiency Index and an all-female team driving a Tesla Model 3. The national title will now be decided at the final round, the Fafe Eco Rally, on 7-8 November.

MadeiraEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Leiria business group holds packaging ecodesign workshop on 8 October

NERLEI CCI, the Leiria business association, is holding a free workshop on global ecodesign trends in packaging on 8 October, running from 2pm to 5.30pm at its Leiria headquarters, with mandatory registration. The session forms part of SustainablePackPT, a programme run jointly with Braga's AEB CCI to help Portugal's packaging sector enter demanding markets including the Netherlands, Germany, the Nordic countries, Canada and the US. The programme is backed by €355,629.88 in Portugal 2030 funding, 85% from the European Regional Development Fund. The event follows a packaging conference held in Marinha Grande in late September.

CentroProducts, Consumption & CircularMore on this story →

Homes, investment and policy

Madeira official lists investments in Câmara de Lobos at anniversary

At Câmara de Lobos's 191st anniversary ceremony, Madeira's regional agriculture and fisheries secretary Nuno Maciel detailed public investment across housing, sport, water infrastructure, agriculture, fishing and health. Since 2024, about 43 million euros have funded 212 homes, while over 50 million euros went to water and sanitation networks. PRODERAM backed 174 agricultural projects worth 17 million euros, and 870,000 euros supported fishing through Mar 2030. Maciel also raised renewing the black scabbardfish fleet, saying Brussels must still align with this need, and pledged continued government cooperation with local authorities.

MadeiraConstruction & HousingRead more at JM Madeira ↗

Mello RDC to convert Ageas office block into Lisbon flats

Lisbon-based developer Mello RDC, led by António Ribeiro da Cunha, will invest 50 million euros to convert an office building owned by insurer Ageas in the Benfica area into six residential apartments aimed at middle-class buyers. The 'Panorama' project, designed by architecture studio Posto 9, is currently in the licensing phase with Lisbon City Council. Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2027, with completion planned for late 2029. Flats will range from one to three bedrooms, priced at 6,500 euros per square metre. The developer has brought in other family offices and private investors to share risk and returns.

LisbonConstruction & HousingRead more at Jornal Económico ↗

Kronos Homes' Lisbon project wins Best Real Estate Project award

Distrikt, a residential development by Kronos Homes in Lisbon's Parque das Nações, received the Almar Consulting Award for Best Real Estate Project at the World Class District Awards 2026, held in Madrid. The project, designed by Morph Estudio and representing an investment of over €125 million, comprises four towers with 214 homes, six commercial spaces and public parking. It is described as Kronos Homes' largest residential project to date, featuring terraces, large glazed surfaces and a distinctive 45-degree rotation of floors to maximise views of the city and the Tagus River.

LisbonConstruction & HousingRead more at Portugal Resident ↗

Good to know: dates for the diary

Ponte de Lima seminar on 7 October targets young farmers

A seminar on investment by young farmers will be held on 7 October at the Escola Superior Agrária, part of the Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, in Ponte de Lima. The event is organised around the theme of agricultural investment aimed at younger producers entering the sector. No further details on the programme or speakers were given.

NorteEducation & Eco-tourismRead more at Agroportal ↗

Caminha launches first wellbeing festival with writer Pedro Chagas Freitas

The first edition of Confluência, a wellbeing festival in Caminha, takes place this Sunday, 4 October, at the Parque Municipal 25 de Abril, with free entry until 7pm. Writer Pedro Chagas Freitas is the special guest. Organised by Sílvia Pinto and Isabel Varela with support from Caminha's municipal council, the event is themed around encounters between people, knowledge and experiences, under the motto 'Onde os caminhos se cruzam'. It will feature talks, activities, children's entertainment and devotional music focused on physical, emotional and relational wellbeing.

NorteHealth & WellbeingRead more at Alto Minho ↗

Small wonders: keeping traditions alive

Miranda village re-enacts traditional ploughing and sowing on 17 October

The parish of Miranda, in Arcos de Valdevez, will host a re-enactment of traditional wheat and rye ploughing and sowing on 17 October at 9:30am. Organised by the local cultural, recreational and sports association, the event invites residents to relive old farming practices using period dress and traditional tools. The day will include music from the Rusga da Miranda group and a shared meal with traditional snacks and wine. Organisers say the aim is to keep alive the community's memory and identity, bringing younger generations closer to the traditions that shaped Miranda's history.

NorteFood & AgricultureRead more at Alto Minho ↗
Seven days of the Pulse, curated into one weekly read.Read the Weekly Pulse

The Pulse in your inbox

A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.

Recent