Escola Superior de Biotecnologia promotes LeguCon project

On January 28th, a webinar on the LeguCon project took place, promoted by the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia (ESB) of Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto and financed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The project is based on the development of a unique and innovative consortium in Portugal, promoting the increase of legume production in the country, with a participative and interactive aspect between science and citizenship.

In addition to the dissemination of the project and associated activities, the event included a cycle of keynote speakers, the presentation of a selection of themes relevant to the understanding of the current scenario of legume production at a national level and the opening of a competition for farmers with an interest in legume production with applications open until 28 February.

The competition aims to support 6 farms in the implementation of leguminous crops on their land with a prize of EUR 2000.00 and technical support and is aimed at agricultural producers in the Northern region, available to share the process of their collaboration with the LeguCon project through videos, interviews, photographs and through the organisation of field days.

Carla Santos, researcher at the ESB's Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) and moderator of this webinar, explained that the project makes it possible to establish "a link between all the players in the legume value chain: from the meadow to the field" and Maria Nicolau de Almeia, responsible for the Gulbenkian Sustainable Development Programme, pointed to the innovative value of the project and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's strong commitment to this initiative.

Learn more here.