Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change promotes environmental information and awareness actions aimed at the agricultural sector

Jan. 10, 2023

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, met today with representatives of the Federação Agricula dos Açores (Agricultural Federation of the Azores) with the aim of articulating the implementation of a set of information and environmental awareness actions aimed at agricultural activities.

The Regional Secretary said that “the actions will be promoted throughout 2023 by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Regional Environment Inspectorate, in a logic of proximity and with the largest possible scope”.

“It is intended to make these information and environmental awareness actions available directly to farmers, with around 40 sessions being held in all municipalities in the region, involving, for this purpose, agricultural associations and cooperatives and naturally counting on the helpful collaboration of the Agrarian Development Services of the various islands”, continued the governor.

The Regional Secretary in charge of the environment justified that “this initiative aims to contribute to the improvement of the environmental performance of livestock farms in the Region, to reduce the pollution of water resources and soil resulting from the activity and functioning of the sector and to contribute to the well-being of the population, raising awareness of relevant issues such as, for example, the discharge of livestock effluents into water lines, the abandonment of agricultural waste and the inappropriate application of plant protection products”.

Alonso Miguel also stated that “agriculture is a fundamental sector for the Region's socio-economic development”.

And he concluded: “in this sense, we believe that it is of the utmost importance to be able to make this contribution, in a pedagogical and preventive way, to improve the operation of farms, reducing the environmental impacts derived from agricultural activity, through raising awareness and informing farmers regarding the main infractions communicated to the Regional Environment Inspectorate”.