As part of our ISAAP Partner Introduction Series, we are proud to spotlight CERPRO, a Producers’ Organisation rooted in Portugal’s Ribatejo region — one of the country’s most important agricultural landscapes. Since 1997, CERPRO has been supporting farmers in strengthening cereal, oilseed, and legume production through innovation, knowledge sharing, and a deep commitment to sustainability. As a partner in the ISAAP project, co-funded by EIT Food, CERPRO brings essential field expertise that helps drive the transformation toward more resilient, diversified, and climate-smart agricultural systems. In this story, we explore their mission, their role within ISAAP, and their vision for the future of sustainable farming in Portugal.
Could you introduce your organization and its primary mission?
CERPRO is a Producers’ Organisation created in 1997, located in Raposa, in the heart of Ribatejo — a region of great potential and agricultural relevance in Portugal. Its main objective is to promote the production of its members, boosting their market presence by increasing supply volume, standardising management processes and practices, and strengthening associations in the cereal, oilseed and protein crop (legume) sectors.
CERPRO provides the production sector with innovative cultural solutions, access to new customers and opportunities, promoting a more diversified and resilient supply, capable of responding to the qualitative and quantitative demands of the market.
With a strong focus on demand and value creation, it invests in real-time analysis and information sharing, involving agricultural entrepreneurs and supporting them in their decision-making, in order to identify and realise the best business opportunities.
Why is your organization interested in participating in the ISAAP project, and how does it align with your work?
CERPRO places great importance on the ISAAP project, as it represents a unique opportunity to acquire and share knowledge, in the scope of the legumes crops defined in the project, with the other partner entities. This synergy is crucial to strengthening our structure, allowing us to transfer this new knowledge to our producers, reinforce our position in the market, and boost the growth of new crops and new agricultural markets.
At the same time, we highlight the environmental contribution that the project provides. The cultivation of legumes in agricultural systems offers significant advantages: it reduces the need for chemical nitrogen fertilisers, lowering costs and environmental impacts; it improves soil structure by reducing compaction and increasing water and nutrient retention; it contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions thanks to the reduced use of fertilisers; and it promotes biodiversity, among other relevant benefits.
What are you most excited to contribute to the project, and what outcomes do you hope to see
CERPRO’s motivation for contributing to the ISAAP project is based mainly on the possibility of creating added value for its producers through the implementation of more sustainable and innovative practices. We see this project as an opportunity to boost the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by encouraging crop diversification and promoting the resilience of production systems.
We expect the following main results:
- the development of technical and scientific knowledge applicable in the field;
- the successful transfer of these solutions to our farmers;
- the creation of new market opportunities for legumes;
- the reduction of production costs combined with a lower environmental footprint;
- and, finally, the enhancement of the work of our members, contributing to a more sustainable, modern agricultural sector that is prepared for future challenges.
Could you briefly introduce yourself and your role in the project?
My name is Júlio Bento and I work as an agronomist at CERPRO, where I am responsible for coordinating activities related to the ISAAP project, monitoring the implementation of actions with producers, and sharing knowledge and best practices in legume cultivation.
Your work focuses on supporting farmers in cultivating legumes. What do you hope will be the long-term impact of this work on food security and the rural economy in Portugal?
Our work in supporting legume cultivation will contribute to long-term food security by increasing domestic production of plant proteins and reducing dependence on imports. At the same time, it strengthens the rural economy by creating market opportunities, promoting crop diversification and increasing farmers’ resilience to price fluctuations and climate change, fostering a more sustainable and competitive agricultural sector in Portugal.