Excursion to Portugal
Why Portugal?
On the 13th of April, our think tank went to Portugal for five days as a study trip. There were a few things we wanted to gain from this trip, the most important being local opinions. Portugal is interesting to look into because the CAP regulations have a large impact on the local economy and agricultural practices. However, until visiting the country ourselves, the only source about we had available was the internet. By talking directly to the Portuguese people we were expecting to collect first-hand accounts, which are very valuable for our research. Moreover, we wanted to confirm a variety of aspects that we had read on the internet or heard elsewhere with the locals. An example here would be the measures taken to prevent forest fires that are endangering nature in Portugal every year. Finally, up to this point our research only existed of two sources: the internet and non-Portuguese interviewees, and so we were hoping to gain another perspective and have a more rounded view on our research question.
The trip took us to a region in Portugal's North-West called Coa Valley. Here we were especially interested in a nature preservation area called Faia Brava, which means wild cliff. Unlike most protected areas, Faia Brava is a privately owned stretch of land which receives only limited funding by the government.
It was founded by a group of biologists that realised the potential of the previously abandoned area for nature as well as the local society. One of the main goals of Faia Brava is to set a good example on how a stretch of abandoned land can be used economically while still preserving the unique nature.
It is important to demonstrate to the European Community, and especially to the people deciding on the CAP legislations, that there are alternative ways of using land and making it profitable. While these trail blazing organizations are far and few between, they nevertheless demonstrate that it is possible to make a stretch of land profitable while at the same time protecting nature through careful consideration of the ecosystem and using different methods of agriculture and tourism in accordance with this.
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The challenge is to manage regions in such a way that biodiversity increases and it is profitable. The key for this are we, the consumers. If consumers support ecotourism, biodiversity will improve because there will be more focus on the environment and how to protect it. This in turn will lead to societal change and pressure on the governments to take protective and progressive measures when it comes to the environment. This will then for example lead to less destruction through forest fires in portuguese summer as they will be punished by society. Furthermore, this pressure will cause current tourism hot spots to become more eco friendly in order to to satisfy consumer demand.
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Marco Ferraz, a local and expert of the Faia Brava area told us that he believes that for a positive change there are two aspects of special importance: society and local knowledge. Only when these two aspects will be in harmony it is possible to find a sustainable balance for all, the local economy and people as well as the tourists and the governments. However, he already is observing a positive change in society and that is that people, locals and tourists alike, are starting to see nature as a value itself for society. He is hopeful that this transition will continue to spread across Europe, because governments, farmers, multinational companies and even CAP legislations will only change if everybody unites and demand them to do so.
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Nature is becoming a value itself for society
-Marco Ferraz
Overall, this trip as given us a lot of insight into the way the local economy is influenced by the CAP legislations. There are a lot of farmers that require the government support provided by CAP in order to sustain their agricultural practices and so many farmers are growing the produce that is supported by the government with little regards about the effect that their farming has on the environment. However, another trend can also be observed as well. More and more people are interested in the way that agricultural practices and human activity in general can impact the environment. This rising environmental conscious is a first step in a changing European understanding on the value of nature. In time, this trend will hopefully gain enough power to also influence legislations and policymakers to include not only traditional farming practices but also environmentally conscious, forward thinking projects such as the Faia Brava Nature Reserve.