Regional Government with three European projects approved for agricultural innovation and sustainability - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

The Azorean Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, has seen three strategic innovation projects for regional agriculture approved by the European Parliament, focusing on crop diversification, the circular economy and animal welfare.

For the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, “today is an important day for the Azores.”

He emphasised that the approval of these initiatives “demonstrates that Azorean agriculture is a vibrant and innovative force that is essential for the sustainable development of the archipelago.”

The three projects, representing an overall investment of around €1.6 million, aim to prepare the sector for new food and environmental requirements:

As part of the efforts to promote agricultural innovation, the "AZOREAN COCOA" project has been launched. With a budget of €108,000 and an expected lifespan of 24 months, this pilot study will assess the agricultural and economic viability of growing cocoa (Theobroma cacao) in the Region.

With the establishment of experimental plots on São Miguel and Terceira, soils, microclimates and costs will be analysed with the aim of paving the way for a new value-added agricultural sector linked to artisanal chocolate and agritourism.

In the area of sustainability and the circular economy, the second phase of the “Bio Filtering” project is moving forward, focusing on the processing and reuse of slaughterhouse waste.

Representing an estimated investment of €359,000, the initiative will use natural solutions (such as aquatic plants and accelerated vermicomposting) to transform organic waste into high-quality agricultural compost.

The project, which can be replicated across the nine islands, is expected to reduce unprocessed organic waste by up to 5,000 tonnes per year by 2027.

The third initiative, “CALF FRIENDLY - Happy Calves,” is aimed at dairy farms on the islands of Terceira and São Miguel. This project has a budget of €1.13 million for the 2026–2028 period.

The initiative promotes the suckling of calves for up to three months, a single daily milking and the use of biodiverse pastures. It also provides for the creation of Environmental Credits to offset producers and the awarding of the European “Calf Friendly” label.

António Ventura noted that these projects represent a clear “European recognition of the diversification of food production” in the Azores, making a direct contribution “to carbon negativity, soil sustainability, zero waste and a circular economy.”

The respective documents will now be submitted to the European Commission, where the technical and financial assessment phase will take place.

The submission of these proposals to the European Parliament stemmed from the close institutional cooperation with the MEP for the Azores, Paulo do Nascimento Cabral.

According to the Regional Secretary for Agriculture, “this proactive approach between the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food and MEP Paulo Nascimento Cabral has resulted in a direct benefit for the Azorean people.” It will ensure a path for the sector that is “consumer-focused, more resilient and diversified, and aligned with the environmental challenges of the 21st century.”