Elvas (Portugal), 28 May 2025 – The Defensinhas farm in Elvas hosted the 2nd Conference on the Transfer of Good Practices as part of the SOS PRODEHESA project, a cross-border initiative supported by the Interreg VA Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) programme and co-financed by the European Union.
This meeting brought together more than forty livestock farmers from different regions of Spain and Portugal with the aim of exchanging experiences, concerns and strategies on sustainable and regenerative livestock management in the dehesa and montado.
These biannual conferences aim to consolidate themselves as a meeting point for mutual learning between producers who already apply—or wish to implement—good practices based on Holistic Management.
A field day focused on real solutions
The activity began with an institutional welcome and the presentation of the project and the attendees. Subsequently, Manuel Die, manager of the host farm, introduced the key role played by perennial grasses in the regeneration of the Mediterranean ecosystem and the improvement of pastures.
During the technical visit to ‘Defensinhas’ —a 550-hectare farm with pastureland and 175 Angus-Mertolenga crossbred cows managed under Holistic Management since 2016— participants were able to observe first-hand the positive effects of this form of management: increased vegetation cover, improved forage quality, natural regeneration of trees and remarkable development of perennial grasses such as Phalaris aquatica.
Regenerative gastronomy and participatory workshop
The day continued with a meal made up of regenerative products from the pasture: burgers from the farm’s own livestock, potatoes from the ‘Mundos Nuevos’ farm and goat’s cheese from the ‘La Patilla’ cheese factory, a symbol of the link between sustainable production and gastronomic quality.
In the afternoon, attendees participated in a workshop on ‘How to scale up the implementation of perennial grasses in the dehesa/montado,’ which yielded key reflections:
- Disseminate the ecological and economic value of perennial grasses.
- Promote research and quantification of their benefits.
- Facilitate access to quality seeds.
- Adapt livestock management to favour their implementation.
- Generate alliances and learning networks among producers.
A joint path towards resilience
The day ended with a commitment to continue sharing results, challenges and lessons learned at a future meeting scheduled for autumn 2025. The Defensinhas farm is consolidating its position as a living example of the potential of regeneration in agro-livestock systems in southern Europe.
The organisers would like to express their deepest gratitude to Manuel Die for his generosity, commitment and vision, as well as to all the participants for their enthusiasm and willingness to move towards a regenerative, resilient model adapted to climate change.
🔗 More information: https://bbbfarming.net/es/882-ii-jornada-de-transferencia-de-buenas-practicas-para-la-adaptacion-y-resiliencia-de-la-dehesa
