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MINHA TERRA - Federação Portuguesa de Associações de Desenvolvimento Local

MINHA TERRA

A Minha Terra – Federação Portuguesa de Associações de Desenvolvimento Local (ADL), constituída em Fevereiro de 2000, por iniciativa de um grupo de ADL responsáveis pela gestão da Iniciativa LEADER, reúne as entidades gestoras do LEADER / DLBC Rural com objetivos de representação, formação, informação, comunicação e conceção e implementação de soluções e intervenções em prol do desenvolvimento integrado dos territórios rurais.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Generational renewal in agriculture

14 Jul 2025

Continuar a abordar a renovação geracional como uma questão sectorial agrícola é um erro. A renovação geracional não é apenas uma questão de sucessão no seio das famílias dos agricultores, trata-se de criar as condições para que os jovens em geral queiram e consigam viver e trabalhar nos territórios rurais, tanto na agricultura como em muitos outros sectores de actividade. Não sendo o desafio demográfico exclusivo do sector agrícola, mas sim transversal a muitas zonas rurais da União Europeia, os caminhos apontados passam por comunidades e territórios rurais funcionais, vivos e atractivos, como identifica a Visão de Longo Prazo para as Zonas Rurais da Europa. Ou seja, a tradicional abordagem sectorial da Política Agrícola Comum para o apoio à instalação de jovens agricultores deve ser monitorizada e avaliada, mas sobretudo fortemente complementada por uma abordagem territorial, multissectorial e participada, apoiada por uma mobilização coordenada de diversos instrumentos de financiamento europeus, com destaque para a Política de Coesão, mas também por políticas nacionais e regionais, com foco na inovação (técnica, organizacional e social), no empreendedorismo e nos serviços. O acesso a habitação, saúde, educação, conectividade, cultura, são determinantes para a permanência ou até o regresso dos jovens aos territórios rurais. Em síntese: Privilegiar abordagens integradas e multissectoriais de base territorial; Promover sinergias e coordenação entre instrumentos de apoio e financiamento; Reconhecer o papel dos jovens como agentes de inovação e mudança nos territórios rurais. A experiência do CLLD é relevante e pode ser aprofundada e reforçada.
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Meeting with Dubravka Šuica (Vice-President) and Universidade de Aveiro

11 Feb 2021 · Long term Vision for Rural Areas and exchange of views on Democracy and Demography

Response to Evaluation of the impact of LEADER on balanced territorial development

13 Oct 2020

The concept of an integrated local/rural development through LEADER approach has been playing a key role in the European Union policy. In this sense, this initiative is congratulated, as evaluation is a highly valuable tool for determining not just how successful the implementation of the LEADER measure may have been after resources and funding were applied, but rather (i) a broader view of its implementation (different implementation methods); (ii) the long-term sustainability of the outcomes for the rural communities; (iii) the always difficult to assessing LEADER/CLLD added value. Our first comment is about the evaluation timing. Despite the great importance of the LEADER evaluation, it seems, however, rather extemporaneous if one of its main objectives is to help design better support for rural areas and communities under the CAP strategic plans and feed into the future Rural Development Police (and, we would say, also to the Cohesion Policy, considering the interdependence of Funds under mutifund CLLD). For the purpose of evaluating the impact of LEADER on balanced territorial development, the roadmap refers the use of data provided by Member States. However, and taking into account the RDPs monitoring and evaluation system, and as mentioned in the roadpmap, although Managing Authorities in Member States have to carry out RDP evaluation, which include LEADER, they do not necessarily analyze the instrument in the same way/depth, which makes it difficult to scale conclusions at EU level. Thus, and with regard to the collection of information, it is also suggested that the roadmap includes the results of any initiatives at Member State level that may contribute to surpass some of the constraints associated with the quantity and quality of information to be used in the context of this evaluation process, namely those initiatives implemented by LAGs, networks of LAGs and National Rural Networks (NRNs). In this context, the work developed in Portugal (Mainland) stands out. Having regard to the need to demonstrate the results of the application of European public policies through the LEADER approach, and in an unprecedented framework, the Regulation laying down common and general provisions for the European Structural Investment Funds, requires the mandatory evaluation of Local Development Strategies (LDS), implemented by the Local Action Groups (LAG) through Community Led-Local Development. Taking advantage of the first experience of applying a legal framework for evaluation at the local level, it was considered useful to summarize the results of this capacity building process in a specific report with the aim of taking stock of its main virtues and main constraints. The main conclusions of the analysis of the LDS mid-term evaluation reports were that the conditions for the development of evaluation processes were not the most appropriate and the MAs and LAGs did not give the proper priority and importance to the evaluation process. This context has resulted in reports with very different levels of quality, and in which a large part of the LAGs did not follow the recommendation to adopt the more comprehensive evaluation concept (i.e., of the results of the animation activities, and the implementation and added value of LEADER approach), which, in a certain way, hampers the relevance and usefulness of the evaluation processes. However, after the conclusion of the evaluation period, it was considered essential and opportune to carry out an analysis of the results included in the LDS mid-term Evaluation Reports. In this sense, it is being produced a Report that contains a cross-sectional analysis of the contents of 51 Reports made available by the LAGs, with a special focus on the conclusions and recommendations, as well as the main concerns and expectations for the next programming period (2021-2027). This report will be available in the next month.
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Response to Farm to Fork Strategy

16 Mar 2020

Minha Terra – the Portuguese Federation of Local Development Associations salutes the European Commission for its commitment, within the much wider Green Deal, to make food systems more sustainable, capable of (continue to) ensure that people have access to safe, nutritious and quality food, while improving its conditions of production, processing and marketing, making them more environmentally, but also socially friendly. We believe that the focus should not be exclusively on the agriculture and fisheries sector, but that the strategy should include many sectors of activity, in a wide and complementary view. On one hand, the strategy should not be centered only on the production side, in the primary sector, but should also include all sectors of activity responsible for the processing, distribution and commercialization of food products. On the other hand, attention must also be paid to consumption and later stages. The food system concerns not only those who produce and transform, but also those who distribute and trade and those who consume. Increasing the sustainability of food systems certainly involves improving the conditions and techniques of production, distribution and commercialization, but it should also include a strong component of awareness of consumers and companies for the cyclical possibility of products and incentives for sustainable consumption, for reducing waste, reuse and the adoption of a circular economy approach. We also believe that it is important to emphasize a territorial approach. Many territories today still have a significant part of its economy and employed population dependent of agriculture, fisheries or related activities. In addition, these sectors of activity are part of the identity, the traditions and habits of the territories and communities. Improving sustainability must cope with traditions and identity. It is important to promote local quality products, to strengthen the link between the players in the local food systems, by promoting local markets and short supply chains. In this way it contributes to the valorization of endogenous products, local varieties and breeds, to the creation and maintenance of employment and agricultural activity, to food security, through the provision of fresh products, to the knowledge of production processes and to the reinforcement of human connections, and to the local development. Improving local food systems has environmental benefits, associated with less intensive production practices, less contamination and less consuming energy (transport). Finally, we advocate for partnership and participatory approaches to local implementation of the farm to fork strategy measures. Territorial multi-stakeholder partnerships, like LEADER/CLLD Local Action Groups can play an important role.
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