CIHEAM Press Review

Portugal recorded the highest forest growth in the EU (11.1%), ahead of countries like Denmark, Ireland, and Finland.

Wine production is expected to fall by 20% this year to its lowest volume in the last decade, despite being of good quality, and the price of olive oil is expected to decline by 5%.

With wild stocks under pressure from trade and habitat loss, Ecomare’s seahorse project in Portugal is testing how controlled aquaculture can meet demand and protect fragile populations.

The semi-autonomous Chinese region of Hong Kong has banned the import of poultry meat and by-products, including eggs, from the Porto district, following the detection of cases of avian flu.

Olive oil production in Portugal is expected to fall by around 20% compared to last year, due to extreme heat and a shortage of rainfall over the past four months.

Olivum seeks to add value to Portuguese extra virgin olive oils through an expanded certification program, ensuring environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The eighth edition of O Mundo do Vinho (“The World of Wine”) will take place across Coimbra between 15 and 29 October, offering a rich programme of cinema, wine tourism, exhibitions, talks, readings, and a themed dinner.

The price of the food basket rose again last week and is now 2.07 euros higher (+0.86%), reaching 242.45 euros. This is "one of the highest prices" since DECO PROteste began tracking the price of this basket of essential items.

Two-thirds of the wildfire-inflicted damage came in Spain and Portugal, which combined to produce nearly half of the world’s olive oil in the 2024/25 crop year.

Scientists warn that climate change is threatening the seaweed's ability to store carbon and support biodiversity.

In 2024, each Portuguese person spent an average of 3,300 euros per year on food, adjusted for purchasing power parity, making Portugal one of the European Union countries with the highest expenditure in this sector. 

The price of the basic food basket increased by 1.01 euros (up 0.42%) last week, to 240.65 euros, according to DECO PROTeste, who stressed that "this is one of the highest prices since the consumer protection organisation began monitoring the price of this basket of essential goods."

Octopus fishing vessels must remain in port during the closed season, which begins on July 17, and must notify the DGRM of their intention to suspend their licenses.

Official estimates point to a 20 percent decline in Portugal’s olive harvest, with uneven yields across regions and mounting pressure on traditional producers.

A litre of olive oil became €2.91 cheaper in Portugal between November 2024 and October of this year, according to the latest data from the Price Observatory.

Algarve wine has shed the stigma of poor quality and is increasingly successful, with the number of producers growing annually, but it needs to achieve scale to launch into exports.

Matosinhos has been named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, joining 58 new cities recognised this year for their contribution to the promotion of culture and creative industries.

The price of carrots rose 11% in just one week and is now at its highest price of the year, according to weekly price monitoring released by DECO PROTeste.

The price of the basic food basket monitored by DECO PROTeste eased last week, but broccoli stands out, as the price of this food has already skyrocketed by 39% this year.

Most food waste in Portugal is produced by households, according to Too Good To Go, a company fighting the phenomenon, in a study.

Valpaços, in the Vila Real district, has been recognised as the best organic city by the European Commission, as part of the fourth edition of the European Organic Production Awards.

Each Portuguese person wastes 182.7 kilograms of food per year, according to the most recent data (2023) from the INE.

Scientific studies for the creation of a Community Initiative Marine Protected Area (AMPIC), part of joint work between the municipalities of Cascais, Mafra and Sintra, will begin shortly, and the participatory process will start later this year.

Albufeira's Praça dos Pescadores, in the Faro district, will host the traditional Fishermen's Festival from September 5th to 7th, during an event that honours local fishing identity.

A “marine heatwave” has been detected by the National Maritime Authority (AMN), following data revealed by a buoy placed in the ocean off Faro. According to records, temperatures “significantly higher” than the average for the last 20 years have been recorded.