Creating a Living Lab in a semi-arid area

Here, in the rural Alentejo of south Portugal, the effects of draughts and the climate change is visible everywhere. The yield of the land diminishes, the poverty increases, while young people go to the big cities or move to other countries. And still, the farmers continue to plow their land, focus no mono-cultures, keep using fertilizers, and so on. We want to bring an impactful change to our region, by showing how the soil can be treated in a different way. That water can be used more efficiently and that erosion can be stopped. For this, we are creating various researchprojects, together with researchers and students. To do this, we want to turn our 9 hectare property into a living lab.