Portugal

Rede Convergir – Centre The school of laughter in Vila Nova de Poiares publicises and promotes the practice of laughter yoga. This contributes to improved physical and mental health with the aim of finding spiritual harmony in a fun way. Joanne Helms, aged 45, has been certified in laughter yoga for about 12 years. This instructor does her artistic work under the name of ‘Ana Banana’, and she devotes herself to the teaching of laughter yoga as “a global mission dedicated to social peace,” she told ECO123. After working in different circus companies in Portugal, she joined the Red Nose …

Rede Convergir – Sul The aim of the project ‘Quatro Ventos’ (literally “Four Winds”), created about a year ago, is to get people to connect with nature and to re-establish a healthy relationship with the planet’s ecosystem. The association was conceived by Tycho Huussen, a 38-year-old Dutchman. The idea of the association is to spread information and teach about ecology and permaculture. The aim is to demonstrate the advantages that arise when there is a greater connection with nature. The way in which this association communicates its ideas in different communities is by planning a number of activities relating to …

Edible plants, such as simple leaves and foliage from the fields, contain the nutrients necessary for the human body. A diet based on wild plants has its origins in the earliest days of our species. The ecologist Bernd Gerken, aged 66, was born in Germany and came to live in Portugal in 2006. Over the years, he has always researched the edibility of wild foliage from different types of field. According to Bernd Gerken, “there is an excellent variety of plants and plots in Portugal, which are Mediterranean in character, and there is a range of aromatic and green herbs …

António Sá da Costa, President of APREN, the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, welcomed ECO123 to the association’s headquarters in Lisbon. Focusing on the state of affairs in Portugal for producing energy from renewable sources and expectations for the future, the conversation was fluid and fascinating, and ranged over a large number of topics. This demonstrated the notable capacity for communication and the passion of the man who regards himself as a “marathon runner” for the benefit of renewable energies in Portugal. What is the current proportion of renewable energy sources in energy production in Portugal? Nowadays, over 50% of our …

The village communities in the Alentejo, all the human biotopes comprising welfare, sharing and mutual responsibility, hospitality, collective memory and togetherness, are not yet a thing of the past. Consumers want to know who produces their food. Young people long for their grandparents’ understanding. In different suburban areas and villages, local people want to be in charge of their own administration. Couples and young families need to have people to talk to, genuine support, community. Perhaps it is the old people who can play a role here. An insight into the Alentejo villages and their quest for resurrection. Re-inventing the …

Bare summer plains, as far as the eye can see. No water, no shade. Only a very occasional tree. Otherwise: emptiness. Tourist agencies attempt to make the Alentejo appealing to visitors with this very clear scenic icon. But it is hard to live and work in such a sparse landscape. Dilapidated farms in the whole district testify to a massive demise in farming. Perhaps nature in the Alentejo dreams a different dream. A dream of dispersed, multi-layer afforestation, of streams, ponds and a diversity of plants and animals, of abundance and fertility. The Greek philosopher Strabo said: “A squirrel could …

Alfredo Cunhal Sendim (49) runs the Herdade do Freixo do Meio farm in Montemor-o-Novo. As a young man he worked on the fishing nets in Ferragudo in the Algarve, and planned to be a fisherman, but it is in the Alentejo that he is now at the helm of his dream to create a paradise on earth. The “montado” agro-system, which he regards as being the planet’s future and salvation. What is the significance of the montado, whose importance you compare to that of the era of the discoveries in the history of Portugal. The montado is a marvellous Portuguese …

By solidarity economy is understood the series of “processes, be it formal or informal, of production, exchange, consumption, distribution, income generation, saving and investments, that combine economics with solidarity, an ecological perspective, cultural diversity, critical reflexion, participatory democracy and local development.” This is the definition that is expressed in the manifesto of the Portuguese Network of Solidarity Economy (RPES)(1), a project that is in full development and which ECO123 will be following closely. According to Júlio Ricardo, director of the Terra Chã Cooperative(2) in Portugal “there are huge numbers of solidarity economy events, but people don’t know about them because …

Interview with the fisherman Zeca Águas (55), from Portimão. ECO123: Nowadays, when you observe the amount of fish in the sea and compare it with a generation ago, do you notice any differences? Zeca Águas: According to my experience of 15 years ago, both in terms of my studies or from what I can see with my eyes, including soundings, we have 75% less fish today. Many species are affected because no one has been concerned about them until today – only now. For the first time, last year, they took the trouble to introduce a closed season. They didn’t …

Interview with Prof. Mojib Latif (61) GEOMAR, Kiel in Germany   ECO123: We produce a magazine in which we always try to bring economics and ecology together. Do you think that can work? Mojib Latif: Yes, I am sure that can work. People talk a lot today about sustainability, an expression that is already very overused. I think the expression should rather be interpreted by the media as future viability. If it is understood in this way, then you can see straight away that economics and ecology are not opposites, rather they can only function together. Unfortunately we are currently …