Portugal

Many companies come into being to fill a need in the market, but there are others that emerge, quite literally, as a matter of health. This is what happened with Próvida, which started as a way of curing anaemia through nutrition. Founded in 1984 by Alcino and Cesaltina Sousa, this company produces and sells natural foodstuffs, and its philosophy is concern with the quality of life. Apart from its 1800 distribution points, Próvida also has a unit for producing fresh items. There you can find more than ten sorts of sugar-free biscuits, different types of wholemeal bread and a range …

It is frequently the case that parents are dissatisfied with the role of the education system in the lives of their children. Some parents resign themselves to the limitations of schools, others join together in protest, but it is rare that parents unite to create a project to set up an alternative model of schooling. This was exactly how the school Casa Verdes Anos (lit: “Green Years Home”) began; it was founded in 2004 by a group of families who were looking for more than the typical model of post-modern education. Located in the garden of the Palácio Marquês da …

“We are what we eat” – but this raises an important question. There’s no time any more to seek out what is best, and people shop in hypermarkets as a matter of convenience. This is what lay behind Pedro Gonçalves’s business idea, which he called “Mercearia Bio” (the organic grocery). This is a concept based on an online shop, where you can look and order from the comfort of your home, but it also focuses on proximity between producer, distributor and consumer. All of this means that you can be just one click away from having certificated organic produce delivered …

On 6th May, the European Parliament approved the law (1) which defines the prohibition of seed swapping, with the exception of private individuals and companies with fewer than ten In Portugal, the initiative has not been well received by everyone. The “Seed Sovereignty Campaign” aims to alert not only farmers but also the general public to the implications of this law which aims to patent seeds. Lanka Horstink is the coordinator of this movement, part of the environmental organisation GAIA, one of the fifty associations which recently went to Brussels to demand the right to sow, swap and reproduce seeds …

If there is one person who takes the maxim “think globally, act locally” literally, it is Tom Bauer, founder member of the NGO Surfing The Nations (STN). Based in Hawaii and founded in 1997, STN allowed Tom to combine his two passions: surfing and humanitarian work. The aim is to counteract the idea that surfing is something done by egomaniacs obsessed with personal fulfilment. But also to motivate practitioners to go out of their comfort zone and provide hope and change for local people who are in need of both of these things. But exactly how can surfing contribute to …

At present, when people think about rice, it is not often in its whole-grain form. However, since the beginnings of agriculture it was whole-grain cereals that traditionally formed the basis of human nutrition. It was only when the rate and patterns of consumption changed that the factor of convenience forced a change in eating habits, with refined foodstuffs regularly being used. Whole-grain rice is one of the most complete and balanced foodstuffs, promoting the stability of insulin and glucose levels in the blood. The fibre it contains can also contribute to the lowering of cholesterol (1) and the risk of …

One the last places you think of when people talk about natural foods is Lisbon. Or maybe not, depending on what you include under that heading. For Rui Rato, owner of the restaurant Tao, natural foods imply not only foodstuffs in their unrefined form, but also a harmonious combination of each ingredient, taking into account the effect of the whole on body, mind and spirit of each individual. It is exactly with this in mind that each client puts together their own dish, which is what you’d expect in a restaurant whose name is derived from Taoism. In this Chinese …

Despite the difficulties, there are many Guineans – both residents and emigrants, in which Portugal plays an important part – who are looking for ways to improve the country, trying to reverse the trend towards political, military and economic fragility. To this end, a group of Guinean women resident in Portugal decided to join forces drawing on the experience of Filomena Djassi. She is a woman with well-founded ideas, and, despite her youth, she is already taking on a leadership role. After a training course with a group of women in Lisbon, she spoke to ECO123. ECO123: Who is Filomena …

Surfing was always about communing with nature. But as the sport became more professional and industrial, boards underwent some changes. Initially made of wood, they started being made from oil-based plastics responsible for large quantities of carbon emissions. In Portugal, in the historical location of Óbidos, carpenter José Antunes made the most of the misfortune of losing his job to counteract this trend – he started making surfboards from wood. José started by making durable toys for his two children. But, if children could have wooden toys, why not adults too? And that is how Yoni Surfboards came into being. …

It’s just a small step from organic agriculture to sustainable development Projecto 270 may be just a farm, but it is actually much more than that. It covers half a hectare and is located between the beaches of Praia da Riviera and Praia da Rainha on the Costa da Caparica. It’s been running for a decade and is organically certified. The idea for the project arose in Genoa at a demonstration against globalisation, putting into practice the motto “Think globally, act locally”. Its name comes from the number of the plot. To start with it was quite a sandy, family …