1st Meeting of the Portuguese Focus Group on Social Farming
The first meeting of the Portuguese Focus Group on Social Farming was held in Lisbon, the 21st of
July 2011. This group was formed under the project 'MAIE', with the aim of promoting a
multidisciplinary approach in the design of a transnational curriculum in Social Farming. The
meeting was attended by the following participants:
AGROBIO – Portuguese Association for Organic Agriculture, partner in the project 'MAIE',
and coordinator of the Portuguese Focus Group, represented by Jaime Ferreira, António
Vieira Lopes and Alexandra Costa.
National Institute for Rehabilitation, I.N.R., public institution under the umbrella of the
Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity, represented by Fátima Alves and Graça Pissarra.
Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, under the Ministry of Economy and
Employment, represented by Olívia Matos.
General Directorate of Prison Services, public institution under the Ministry of Justice,
represented by Jorge Monteiro.
Municipality of Cascais, Agenda Cascais XXI, local administration, represented by André
Miguel.
Cercica, Social Cooperative, Private Institution of Social Solidarity, represented by Luísa
Simões.
CSCD Mira Sintra, Social Cooperative, Private Institution of Social Solidarity, represented
by Ana Rodrigues, psychologist.
Quinta do Montalto, organic farm, represented by André Gomes Pereira, farmer.
Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra, agricultural college, represented by Pedro Mendes
Moreira and Maria Filomena Miguéns.
The agenda for this meeting included an introduction to the project 'MAIE' and to the work of the
national Focus Group, an introduction of each participant and his link with social farming, a short
presentation of the projects linked to social farming undertaken by Agrobio, and the first discussion
of the Questionnaire on Social Farming in Portugal.
In addition, the questionnaire was made available to the participants online, and the results were
compiled to further integrate the comparative country focus groups' answers working document.