The project “Safe Food in Alto Tâmega e Barroso” is a part of the PNAES (National Plan for
Balanced and Sustainable Food) and was approved under the European financing program
PDR2020 (Technical Assistance Rural Network). The project is supported by a partnership
which is constituted by two regional partners: ADRAT – Association for the Development of Alto
Tâmega Region, as a Local Action Group, and CIMAT (Intermunicipal Community of Alto
Tâmega and Barroso).
According to the basic structure of Consumption, Production, Mediterranean Diet and
Education and Food Literacy, the objectives of this National Plan – PNAES, includes stimulating
national production, promoting the adoption of more sustainable production and distribution
systems, based upon short chains and local food systems; valuing endogenous products;
promoting and preserving the Mediterranean Diet as a national territorial food pattern,
creating and promoting initiatives to enhance its adherence; increasing awareness among
consumers and the general population in order to increase a nutritional balanced and
sustainable diet.
Thus, in line with the above mentioned objectives, the project “Safe Food in Alto Tâmega and
Barroso” has as one of its main focus to promote activities with children in pre-school (ages 3-
5 years old) and elementary school (ages 6-9 years old) throughout the Alto Tâmega and
Barroso region. In this sense, the aim was to reinforce the importance of raising awareness
among children about healthy food, as it is during this period that future tastes and food
preferences are shaped.
In order to meet the goals of the project and involve the children it was created a game “Alto
Tâmega and Barroso Food Bingo”, played with the school children, where ADRAT’s technicians
visit all the schools of the region and talk about the traditional recipes and features of all of the
municipalities of this region, the foods that mostly grown in each of them, as well as the
animal production with more relevance at a local level. During the game, as the bingo chips
with foods are drawn, the nutritionist speaks a little about them, the regional importance, the
production, incorporation into traditional recipes, relevant nutritional factors, impact on the
diet and sustainability.
In addition to this activity developed in schools, several awareness-raising actions aimed at the
general public have been carried out, distributed across the municipalities of Alto Tâmega and
Barroso, namely the organization of workshops in the municipal markets of Chaves and Vila
Pouca de Aguiar together with the students of the Professional Technician Course of
Cook/Pastry of the Chaves Professional School and the Vila Pouca de Aguiar School Group.
There are also other complementary activities planned in other municipalities of the region.
Through this project, it is also intended to carry out a Regional Diagnosis, contributing to the
Food System of Alto Tâmega and Barroso, based on collecting information through surveys
directed to agriculture producers in order to evaluate agricultural production in the region.
Additionally, it will take place three common activities that will be carried out at national level
in cooperation with other entities that have PNAES projects. The activities are the participation
in the website platform “Prato Certo”, which is a national collaborative platform created with
the aim of promoting food literacy; adaptation and edition of a Food Education Guide; as well
as elaboration, adaptation and production of a recipe book.
With the implementation of the “Safe Food in Alto Tâmega and Barroso” project, in addition to
fulfilling the PNAES objectives outlined, ADRAT intends to contribute for the promotion of the
regional identity and territorial knowledge of Alto Tâmega and Barroso.
Avenida da Cooperação, Edifício INDITRANS, Lote A1, n.º2. 5400-673 Outeiro Seco. Tel.+351 276 340 920. Fax +351 276 340 929. E-mail: geral@adrat.pt . Site: www.adrat.pt
