Only half of the fruits and 65% of the seasonal vegetables sold in Portuguese supermarkets are produced locally.
This is one of the main conclusions of a survey conducted by Portuguese environmental association Zero, which examined products in 94 stores in 24 municipalities in mainland Portugal and Madeira.
Zero describes the situation as 'far beyond what is desirable', as many of these products could be produced in Portugal.
The organisation believes that there is much to be done to promote domestic production, in particular for high-consumption products such as tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, onions and potatoes, of which less than 50% are of Portuguese origin.
Of the 19 vegetable products analysed, seven are produced entirely in Portugal, including chard, coriander, fava, turnip and radish.
Fruit Focus
Likewise, the fruit segment is 'far from ideal', as, of the 13 fruits analysed, only strawberries and blackberries are entirely of Portuguese origin. Portugal produces only 24% of its lemons and 23% of its grapes, despite the fact that these mainly originate from neighbouring countries with similar climates, such as Spain and Morocco.
Zero concludes its report by proposing 'positive discrimination mechanisms' for local agriculture and making people aware of local and seasonal preferences, as well as gradually eliminating all public incentives for intensive animal and plant production, and directing them to organic production instead.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
