Free Trade NGO leader to share experience and network with Portuguese food producers

Denis and Carol Bergin based in Tavira asked me to share this information. Sue Hall

In Loco, a development agency based in São Brás de Alportel, Portugal and other local partners will host an in-person session with Mathew John, a leading international practitioner in product development and marketing on Monday, 23 March at 18:00.

Early 2026 extended inclement weather has directly affected Portuguese producers, exacerbating longer-term changes in rural life and complicating access to new markets, particularly among the foreigner communities crucial to the Algarve and Alentejo economies. The session aims to introduce constructive perspectives and practical experience from elsewhere to support local producers and small enterprises.

Mathew John is one of the founders of India’s Keystone Foundation and has led the organisation for over 30 years. He now heads Last Forest Enterprises, which links indigenous communities across 150+ villages in the Kotagiri/Nilgiris area of Tamil Nadu to local and international markets.

Last Forest manages the full supply chain for organic, fair-trade forest products including sustainably harvested honey, beeswax items, spices and millets distributed through 100+ outlets and certified under World Fair Trade Organisation standards. Mathew also serves as head of IFOAM Organics for the Asia region.

Matthew says:
“I’m pondering small business resilience in places like Portugal, where I would like to learn from SMEs. Do they show fewer insolvencies, stronger investment confidence, are they able to focus on innovation despite volatility? How do they balance producer value generation at small scales? Constant pivots are tough without scale. I am curious about local Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)/honey models for lessons on weathering shocks.”

Participants will learn from Last Forest’s experience in indigenous food production and diversification into wellness products. Topics will include:

Quality standards for cultivation and harvesting
Product conservation and transit logistics
Investment in processing equipment
Marketing and distribution support systems
Creating consumer interest in product categories and wellbeing trends
Strategies for entering new markets Mathew will also describe the uncertainties of relying on wild-harvested goods and the staffing and capacity challenges encountered when expanding to external markets.

Matthew is eager to learn from local Algarve/Alentejo experience regarding insolvency rates, investment confidence, innovation capacity, and small-scale value generation.

Practical Information:

Language: Presentation in English; translation to Portuguese and French (and vice-versa) will be provided.

Time and Place: Monday 23 March, 18:00

Sede da Associação In Loco, Campus da Boa Esperança, Av. da Liberdade, nº 101, 8150-101 São Brás de Alportel.