Madeira engineers call farming a strategic pillar of regional climate resilience
A conference organised by the Madeira branch of the Order of Engineers concluded that agriculture should be treated as a strategic part of the region's resilience and future. Climate change is altering rainfall, water availability, soil stability, pests and crop cycles, while land abandonment, pressure on soil and an ageing farming population add further risks. For an island region dependent on outside supplies, farming also underpins food security. The proposed response includes better water management, soil protection, backing for farmers, a farmland reserve suited to local conditions, and engineering and data-driven land governance.
Macaronesian farming project ALSEMAC wraps up with calls to take research to the field
The ALSEMAC project has closed with an international meeting at the Campo da Barca auditorium in Madeira, bringing together agricultural specialists. It strengthened cooperation between Madeira, the Azores and the Canary Islands, along with partners in Cape Verde, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Work covered food security, sustainability, the reuse of farm waste and adapting to climate change. Madeira's regional agriculture and fisheries secretary, Nuno Maciel, said the knowledge gained must not stay in laboratories and offices but reach farmers and help them earn more.
Galician advisers visit São Miguel farms in first Azores–Galicia AKIS exchange
The National CAP Network held two activities on São Miguel in the Azores between 30 September and 2 October 2026. One was an awareness session for regional actors in the agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS), bringing together higher education, producer associations and farm advisers. The other was the first AKIS exchange between the Azores and Galicia, hosting advisers from the Asociación de Asesores Rurais de Galicia. They toured a salad-leaf grower, a greenhouse pineapple producer, a tea plantation, a dairy cooperative and a family dairy farm. Shared challenges included generational renewal, skilled staff and adapting technology to small plots.
Portugal presents its CAP network cooperation model at European meeting in Ireland
Portugal's national Common Agricultural Policy network took part in the eighth meeting of national CAP networks, held in County Wicklow, Ireland, on 6 and 7 October. Its coordinator, Maria Custódia Correia, said the Portuguese approach rests on building trust among partners and on spaces for dialogue. She pointed to an innovation working group created in 2015, a monitoring group for the agricultural knowledge and innovation system, and an annual knowledge day. Managing authorities sit in all the network's working groups. Panellists from Ireland, Wallonia and Sweden also stressed trust and clearly defined roles.
Asfertglobal says biocontrol is its fastest-growing line as chemical options shrink
Asfertglobal's Portuguese sales head says biocontrol products are now the fastest-growing part of its range, helped by the integration with AGRONOVA Biotech. The shift comes as several active substances leave the market and regulatory pressure rises. The company stresses technical support in the field, on-farm trials and showing growers a return on investment, not just a cost. At the Fruit Attraction fair, AGRONOVA presented Bloomis, aimed at water stress, and Spirunol Prime, a solid spirulina-based formulation. Its executives expect to sell in around 50 countries by year-end and argue the future lies in programmes combining biological and chemical tools, with less chemistry but no loss of productivity.
Portugal's pig and poultry farms face tighter EU emission limits
New European Union rules aim to cut pollutant emissions from the poultry and pig sectors, and Portugal will have to apply them to its own farms.
CTCOR launches CorkBridge to bring research and new technology to cork SMEs
CTCOR, the Portuguese cork technology centre, is running CorkBridge, a project co-funded by the COMPETE 2030 programme. It aims to help small and medium-sized cork firms, which make up over 99% of the sector, put scientific and technological knowledge into practice. Work centres on digitalisation and Industry 4.0, ESG principles, the circular economy and staff training. Planned activities include training and demonstration sessions, case studies, pilot projects, circular business models and a digital platform with resources. Cooperation between companies, universities and research bodies is meant to turn R&D results into economic value.
New AgroConnect episode examines Portuguese farming's expansion into foreign markets
A new episode of AgroConnect focuses on international expansion in agriculture. Topics include the difficulties of exporting to demanding markets and how producers adapt to new farming realities across the Portuguese-speaking world.
Kika Foods and FSSC confirmed as Bronze Sponsors of Portugal Food Safety 2026
Kika Foods and FSSC have joined the Portugal Food Safety 2026 event as its latest Bronze Sponsors. The event is billed as Portugal's largest dedicated to food safety. Kika Foods makes artisan biscuits and distinctive snack products, while FSSC brings an international outlook centred on certification, harmonised practices and trust along the agri-food chain. The organisers say the additions broaden the range of players present, from production, industry and distribution to certification, technology and sustainability. They also strengthen the national and international reach of a programme built around current challenges in food safety and corporate competitiveness.
Butternut growers host journalists for field-to-rooftop day on 23 September
Love Butternut, an initiative of Portuguese and Spanish butternut squash growers backed by seed company Sakata Seed Ibérica, is organising "Butternut Lovers" on 23 September. Producers, journalists and content creators will visit a production field and take part in a harvest, then gather at a rooftop for squash-based appetisers, live music and a sunset. The event falls as the harvest nears its end, due to finish by late September or early October, ahead of the first rains. Early indications point to a good crop, and the squash is already on sale in Portugal and Spain, in its peak consumption season.
