The Sociedade Agrícola do Freixo do Meio, Lda., structures the social economy work developed on this Alentejan estate for several generations, primarily aiming to integrate and regulate the different uses of this common good.
The main goal of Sociedade Agrícola do Freixo do Meio, Lda. is to efficiently and collectively manage the Montado do Freixo do Meio, aiming to continuously improve the relationship with resources and to achieve an abundance of goods and services.
Established in 1996 to manage the resources of this estate using the traditional model, it soon transitioned to an agroecological approach.
Although it is owned by the farmer Alfredo Cunhal Sendim, it adopted a formula based on shared management of the space with other autonomous projects. The parent institution is responsible for overall harmony and manages the Protected Landscape of the Montado.
The autonomous projects established since 2009 now include Mel da Família Abel, Pomar do Carlos e da Catarina, the horticultural and meat processing of Maria, Afonso, and João (Freixo Alimento), Marc’s agroforestry, Afonso’s agroforestry, Raquel’s Healing Forest nursery, and the TTT technological innovation project (Hella Boccara Foundation).
What drives us today and tomorrow
Inspired by the essence of the Montado, Sociedade Agrícola do Freixo do Meio promotes a space of cooperation, inclusion, personal development, work, and community building. It seeks to create a community that harmoniously integrates with its ecosystem, striving to be autonomous, resilient, peaceful, and inclusive, in alignment with Agostinho da Silva’s vision of the Fifth Empire.
Its mission is based on high standards, transparency, sociocratic participation, knowledge, and innovation, enriched by the perspectives of science, agroecology, permaculture, and food sovereignty.
Agostinho da Silva
Despite all the difficulties, despite all the obstacles posed by an economic system that, after all, could not have been otherwise, people have always shown their desire for cooperation, their love for communal living where they can help each other. They have always set as an ideal a state of society, an organization where they would not have to separate their individual interests from the interests of the community, where the two aspects of their earthly life would form a whole and provide them with the harmony, peace, and inner tranquility that people seek above all.
«As Cooperativas, Iniciação», 1942
The principles that guide our activities
- Operate as a social enterprise, aiming above all to improve the community we live in.
- Value and dignify the people who work with us.
- Promote stable employment for local residents.
- Profit as a condition rather than a goal to be maximized.
- Build living, healthy soil through practices such as annual crop rotation, the use of compost, cover crops, green manures, and minimal tillage.
- Practice certified Organic Farming according to European standards (Reg. (EU) 2018/848).
- In support of soil, human, and ecosystem health, reject the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers.
- Reject the use of genetically edited organisms, synthetic resources, toxic substances, and radiation at all stages of production and post-harvest operations.
- Manage the animals and all living beings on the estate from an ecosystem perspective, respecting their characteristics and functions.
- Feed ruminants (cows, sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys) exclusively with natural fibers, such as natural grazing, sprouts, hay, and straw.
- Feed omnivores (pigs) and granivores (chickens and hens) with appropriate diets, primarily consisting of cereals, natural grazing, sprouts, fruits, and vegetables.
- Do not use foods with genetically edited elements, antibiotics, ivermectin, or synthetic hormones, as well as any other prohibited substances.
- Conserve and enhance natural resources such as biodiversity, climate, and atmosphere by reducing erosion and pollution of the air, soil, and water through the application of proper techniques.
- Create and preserve native livestock breeds and use local seeds and plant varieties whenever possible.
- Maximize the nutritional value of food by harvesting and slaughtering at the most appropriate times.
- Practice minimal food processing to preserve its nutritional value as much as possible. Do not use radiation, ultrapasteurization, excessive heating, synthetic additives, or derivatives from genetically edited organisms.
- Include all ingredients on the product label.
- Manage and use water responsibly.
- Minimize the ecological impact of the estate by using as much renewable energy as possible.
- Promote and manage areas that support wildlife on at least ten percent of the estate.
- Reduce the number of kilometers traveled by increasing local sales.
- Ensure the hygiene and food safety of the produced goods.
- Ensure workplace safety.
- Help promote rural culture.
- Develop and share knowledge in all areas.
- Operate ethically in the market.
- Avoid engaging in commercial speculation.
- Determine the value of products based on their cost of production.
- Promote and cooperate with scientific research.
