BIOECO – Association of Organic and Agroecological Farming

In December 2017 an organic products association, BIOECO Association of Organic and Agroecological Farming, was created. With an office in Fundão, it currently has 33 members, and the number tends to grow. AMURT holds the position of vice president, representing the Ananda Kalyanii project in Paúl.

The association follows a participatory methodology, with operational and planning responsibilities divided among teams, each with a coordinator. Fortunately, our members have a diverse range of skills. People with university education, technical knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of community are all working together on the project.

The association has a good network of partners in the region, municipalities, communities, companies, cooperatives and technicians. The idea is to offer support to people who want to implement their own social and economic projects. The main objective is to promote local production of organic food, and to increase the number of producers and consumers while at the same time using local resources that promote the local economy, creating a resilient community.

The association also promotes a healthy lifestyle, vegetarianism and yoga.

The association has 3 teams:

Events (organizing local organic markets/conferences/promotional events) – The first organic market was in Alpedrinha on February 11, with the support of the Parish Council, and it will become a regular event in the village. Soon we will also have a market in the city of Fundão.

Commercial team – Responsible for finding consumers for the products produced.

Technical and training team – Responsible for providing technical support to farmers and organizing courses on different topics.