The University of Evora held a Soil Week event during the V Iberian Congress on Dehesas and Montado, on 30 October 2024. The aim was to provide training to stakeholders regarding the importance of soil health and biodiversity and to gather participants’ regionalised input on the subject. 

The focus centred on business models and solutions that could open up new paths for the agro-silvo-pastoral systems (land use practices that combine agriculture, forestry, and livestock grazing) of the Montado and Dehesa, which are threatened by climate change and low profitability. 

Consisting of a field visit to a local farm and on-site, indoor lectures by professors Isabel Brito and Pedro Lynce, the event focused on the importance of soil health for the Montado’s ecological and economic sustainability, with an emphasis on soil microbiology. 

The Congress was attended by approximately 400 people, 150 of which participated in the Soil Week event. Attendees were of various backgrounds, including public administration representatives, farmers, producers, and researchers. The lectures on soil health and microbiology presented novel information to a large portion of the audience, providing a good opportunity to raise awareness and offer training. 

Simultaneously, there was the opportunity to gain insight into the producers’ and researchers’ assessments and key concerns regarding soil biodiversity in Montado systems, particularly during the Question and Answer sessions. The information gathered will contribute to the regional input for SOLO’s Nature Conservation of Soil Biodiversity Think Tank and the Portuguese Regional Node (Montado).