Portugal: {Portugal}

Portugal is the largest global producer of cork and is one of EIT Food’s RIS countries

Agriculture as Portugal’s economic backbone

Portugal’s agrifood sector is one of the leading employers in the country. Thanks to good weather and landscape conditions, it has a very diversified agriculture, where fruit and vegetables are the key crops. Furthermore, Portugal’s ability to reinvent themselves and create new products and new production techniques makes Portugal an outstanding EIT Food member.

Room for Improvement

While Portuguese R&D is in full bloom, with a highly skilled workforce and with a substantial research potential, the investment in environmental technologies still remains low. EIT Food can foster innovation by creating connections among different actors and supporting the empowerment and enhancement of small producers.

In essence, Portugal has much potential for becoming a leading innovator thanks to the regeneration of rural areas, the competitiveness of the agrifood sector and the development of new solutions.