Rural Europe on the move English_E_version_all | Page 71

In Loco - here in this place
the diversity of village economies. meat, fish, cereals and vegetables. All animals. It would be ideal to move
We have connected projects through for a perfectly healthy Mediterranean towards organic farming but that is
education, exchange of good practices. Lifestyle. not all. It is the social and economic
Our region is today very rich but in
We have still a very broad knowledge
connection and the involvement of the
very small quantities. We create much of wild herbs, medicinal plants, entire community that counts for being
value out of small quantities of good varieties of grains and landraces of successful,” Artur concludes.
THE ALGARVE EXPERIENCE
T
IN A NUTSHELL
he Algarve holds a special place in the the imbalance of power, the paper industry is an
Forum Synergies’ heart as the final stop of the important source of income in Portugal but value is
Sustainable Mystery Tour back in 1998. It seems not determined just through monetary means and a
this was quite an outstanding occasion for both the truly sustainable forestry policy must recognise this.
European visitors and the local participants and it
Sustainability is defined by long-term impact and
fills me with warmth to return and reflect with Artur an ambitious forestry policy needs to take the same
on everything that has happened in the years since. long view. Currently the political and economic
Looking closely at the sustainable olive and
system prefers short-term gains and quick-fixes.
cork forests of the Algarve, we see an argument Widespread eucalyptus forests are a good example
for slowing down, taking our time and thinking of this. The policy-making process needs to be
long-term. These slow-growing trees will take a adjusted to think better into the future.
while to bear fruit but they will produce biologically
This appreciation of slowness also plays out
rich landscapes, decrease the risk of devastating in other arenas. There is a case to be made
forest fires and create better paid jobs for the local about savouring the moment, something the
community, compared with the eucalyptus forest ‘Mediterranean Diet Route’ and the Slow Food
and associated employment. movements across the continent are striving to instil
The Algarve experience demonstrates a theme
in European citizens - take your time, really find
we see time and time again in this book: the fraught out about what you are planting, seeing, eating, or
question of who should be involved in sustainable experiencing; and appreciate it fully.
rural policy-making. Absentee landlords have
Not only is savouring a more enjoyable
an understandable preference for eucalyptus experience, it is also politically important: it gives
plantations: they provide quick growth and quick us the space to think about the ethical effect of
economic gain for the paper industry. That they our consumption, who has produced the food we
produce ‘dead’ landscapes is of little interest when eat? What labour and processes have created the
you do not live in them. The local community, landscape in which we sit? We need to take time to
on the other hand, has an incentive to hold on to make the connections between our consumption
their dry orchard and cork growing because it is and the effect that has on other people, on animals
more sustainable and environmentally richer in and on the environment. I am so sure this will help
the long term. These parties have not had equal us make more informed ethical choices, and tastier
clout in decision-making processes because of ones too.
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