World Food Day | 2026

The Challenges of Agriculture and Food in Madeira

The Region of Madeira has always relied on mountain and family-based (subsistence) agriculture to ensure the food supply of its population. This activity was responsible for shaping the territory, the levadas (irrigation channels) system, and the terraced landscape, as well as for food production. Polyculture, combining temperate and subtropical crops, forms the foundation of the Atlantic diet and guaranteed some degree of food security. The Region also served as a platform for the transfer and acclimatisation of agricultural genetic resources. The rugged, mountainous topography, extreme fragmentation of agrosystems, diversity of soil complexes, and multiple microclimates—beyond the underlying difficulties they pose to agricultural activity—have allowed the evolution of a unique agrodiversity, featuring nearly 300 species and a significant number of local varieties associated with agroecological conditions, cultural practices, and traditions. This agrodiversity has been researched, documented, and conserved by ISOPlexis-CASTA/CITAB (ISOPlexis - GRIN-Global), together with local partners, farmers, and the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Fisheries.

However, global changes have posed new challenges to local food production systems. The primary sector is heavily affected by rural abandonment, an ageing population, water scarcity, soil erosion, loss of productive potential, and climate vulnerability—factors compounded by growing pressure from urban expansion and tourism.

In this context, ISOPlexis-CASTA/CITAB has positioned itself as the leading unit in implementing the regional specialisation strategy in the fields of agriculture, food, and bioeconomy, leveraging knowledge about agrodiversity for the benefit of regional agricultural activity through:

• Valorisation of endogenous regional products and their designations of origin;
• Intelligent monitoring of agrosystems and agrodiversity (IsUP-AGRO project);
• Study of agrosystem services associated with local crops;
• Evaluation of agricultural product quality;
• Development of solutions based on bioresources, by-products, and waste for crop protection and enhancement of agricultural sustainability.

In parallel, the centre seeks to promote the agroecological transition and organic farming through the educational offerings, advanced training, and outreach actions that transfer technical knowledge and empower farmers and the regional productive fabric for food security.