MED organises a meeting with a Japanese delegation from Ibaraki-ken on sustainable agri-food systems and territorial development

MED organised a meeting yesterday, 1 September, at the University of Évora with a Japanese delegation from Ibaraki-ken, consisting of 26 participants representing 22 municipalities in the Ibaraki region, focusing on sustainable agri-food systems, the promotion of local products and territorial development.

The initiative was spearheaded by MED’s Outreach and Technological Innovation Unit, through its coordinator, Luís Gomes, who devised and structured the programme around topics that aligned with the visitors’ interests.

The delegation comprised technical experts and officials from various areas of Japanese local government, as well as representatives from the Ibaraki Prefecture Association for the Promotion of Municipalities, an organisation dedicated to promoting and coordinating relations between the region’s municipalities. Mitsukoshi Kazuto, Senior Inspector of the Future Creation Division at the Mayor’s Office of Tsukuba-Mirai City, acted as the delegation’s spokesperson.

The first session took place at the Colégio do Espírito Santo, part of the University of Évora. Nuno Pedroso, Pro-Vice-Rector for Research, representing the Vice-Rector’s Office, welcomed the delegation and outlined the role of the University, research and knowledge in addressing regional challenges.

He was followed by Fátima Baptista, Director of MED, who presented the Institute, its main scientific areas, the expertise of its researchers and the way in which MED brings together research, innovation and knowledge transfer.

The scientific component was led by Maria Raquel Lucas, Associate Professor at the University of Évora and a researcher at MED, with a presentation titled “Local Products, Sustainable Territories – Wine, Olive Oil and the Alentejo Experience”.

Using the examples of wine and olive oil in the Alentejo, the presentation addressed the sustainability of agri-food systems and the promotion of local products as links between production, the economy, identity, tourism and territorial development. The relationships between producers, businesses, local authorities, the restaurant sector, tourism and consumers were also discussed, as well as the inclusion of small-scale producers, local supply chains and the importance of creating and retaining value within the region.

The presentation also highlighted the role of the MED as an interface between science and the local area, through research, the development of indicators, co-creation and the transfer of knowledge to the various economic, social and institutional stakeholders.

Given the municipal nature of the delegation and the relevance of local governance to the topics under discussion, the MED invited the Évora City Council to join the programme, complementing the scientific component developed at the University with the perspective of the local government.

Following the session at the University, the delegation proceeded to the Great Hall of the Town Hall, where they were received by the Mayor of Évora, Carlos Zorrinho. This was followed by a presentation by Teresa Batista, Head of the Mayor’s Office, focusing on the municipality and various aspects and initiatives related to territorial development.

The meeting concluded with a session of dialogue and exchange amongst the participants, allowing them to explore the topics discussed in greater depth and draw parallels between the experiences of the Alentejo and Ibaraki.

The initiative thus provided an opportunity for Portuguese and Japanese institutions to come together to address common challenges relating to agri-food systems, sustainability and the optimisation of local resources, whilst highlighting the role of the MED in the transfer and utilisation of knowledge and in building bridges between research, institutions and regions.