Agroecological Caravan

The Agroecological Caravan is a participatory project of the MITE2 research group at CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, which aims to bring farmers, consumers and researchers closer together through agroecology.

The Agroecological Caravan includes five initiatives:

• Dias Abertos de Produtores (DAP) (Open Days for Producers): DAPs take place in locations relevant to the production, distribution, processing, research, or dissemination of sustainable products. They are divided into three parts: farmers present their produce and products, a chef offers a tasting of the farmers' products, and the day ends with an open conversation among everyone about agroecology;

• The Hortas agroecológicas (HA) (Agroecological gardens): The HA team collaborates with schools and institutions that have gardens, helping them implement agroecological principles and practices. Meetings are organized between schools and/or institutions, as well as thematic meetings;

• The Rotas da Caravana (RoCA) (Caravan Routes): These are thematic routes that aim to showcase agroecological experiences in Portugal, as well as strengthen contact between route participants. Experiences are mapped using participatory methodologies. Subsequently, itineraries are designed to be followed by farmers, policymakers, journalists, and consumers, with varying durations (between one and five days);

• The Radio Program of CA: Weekly online and live broadcasts, CA presents various topics and experiences related to agroecology, with farmers, researchers, or policymakers as guests;

• Public Policy Analysis: focus groups analyze public policies related to agroecology during periods of public discussion and deliver suggestions to relevant entities.

The Agroecological Caravan is a partner in the ERASMUS+ project The Mediterranean Caravan: Learning and Sharing Agroecology, which includes groups in Turkey, Serbia, Italy, and Croatia. The project aims to co-create a guide to good practices for knowledge gathering in agroecology, an online platform, and an educational program.

More information:

• http://caravanaagroecologica.weebly.com/

• https://www.facebook.com/caravanaagroecologicapt

• https://www.instagram.com/caravana_agroecologica/

• https://anchor.fm/caravana-agroecolgica 

Coordinator: Sara Magalhães

Project members: Inês Costa Pereira, Carlota Ribeiro Sanches, João Alpedrinha, Leonor R. Rodrigues, David Avelar, Florian Ulm, Renata Santos, Inês Santos, Filipa Vala and Susana Barros Mendes

For more information, please contact sustentabilidade@ciencias.ulisboa.pt.