The majority of cork comes from Portugal. In the traditional "Montados", cork oaks are cultivated for decades to centuries, closely linked to grazing by sheep or cows. It takes 35-40 years to harvest a cork oak for the first time, after which the cork can be removed about every nine years.
During the MIXED project meeting in Lisbon from 23-26 January 2023, ample impressions were gathered and observations discussed. The project focuses on mixed land use systems, such as the traditional "Montados" or new approaches to inter-farm cooperation. Exchanges focused, for example, on sharing lessons learned during the challenging data collection process, debating important project results and clarifying open questions. Moreover, in small groups we had the chance to reflect on expectations and challenges and to think about upcoming steps: important conversations that have been summarised in a video available via this link.
An important component of the project is the direct cooperation with and mutual learning among farmers. Thus, approaches and possibilities to support existing mixed land use systems were discussed. With regard to the German networks on agroforestry resp. the semi-natural use of organic soils, current plans include hands-on field and demonstration days.
In its upcoming tasks, the IfLS focuses on the collection of supporting policy instruments in all MIXED networks and countries - an important exercise in which we depend on the cooperation of our partners. By the end of the project, we will have learned from each other and developed policy recommendations and possible scenarios supporting more mixed farming systems in Europe.
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Contact persons at IfLS: Simone Sterly (sterly[at]ifls.de) and Holger Pabst (pabst[at]ifls.de)
