SHARE Project General Assembly brings international partners together in Évora

The General Assembly of the SHARE project — Shared Innovations for Mediterranean Agroforestry Systems — took place on April 16 and 17 in Évora. The University of Évora participates in the project through the MED research centre, alongside partners from six countries: Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, France, Morocco, and Tunisia.

The main objective of the SHARE project is to co-design innovations that enhance the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of agroforestry systems in the Mediterranean. The MED team, led by Professor Teresa Pinto Correia and with the collaboration of researcher Leonor Almeida, is responsible throughout the project for contributing its expertise in knowledge co-construction and the development of participatory methodologies. Building on its specific experience in establishing a Living Lab, the Montado Living Lab, this team will support SHARE partners in the process of developing and setting up new living labs within the context of the agroforestry systems characteristic of each demonstration site.

As part of this General Assembly, SHARE partners had the opportunity to learn about the Montado system through visits to two farms: Herdade do Freixo do Meio, in Foros de Vale Figueira, and Herdade dos Sismarros, in Lavre. Both include experimental plots that the partners were able to visit and are part of a broader network of 40 long-term experimental plots integrated into the Montado Living Lab.

The field visit included the participation of Isabel Manoel and Cristina Cayolla, two farmers and landowners, who are also members of the Montado Living Lab. They shared their perspectives and management choices in the Montado areas under their responsibility. It was also an opportunity to discuss with project partners their experience as active participants in a Living Lab.

SHARE is part of the PRIMA programme (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area), funded by the European Union. This project has a budget of €1,286,500 and a duration of 36 months, running from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2028. The coordinating institution is Università Politecnica delle Marche, with Paride D’Ottavio serving as project coordinator.

This project received funding from the Italian MUR – Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (Italy); the French National Research Agency, under the Project ANR-25-PRIM-0004-04; the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the Project | PRIMA/0002/2024 (Portugal); the Research and Innovation Foundation (Cyprus); the Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry of Tunisia (MESRS); the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of Morocco (MESRSI). The content of this document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.