Develop innovative research activities and knowledge transfer on sustainable food production and consumption to guarantee the well-being of future generations.
The mission of GreenUPorto – Research Centre on Sustainable Agri-food Production is to contribute to the scientific and technological development and to the knowledge transfer in the field of agronomy, food and environmental sciences, promoting an innovative and a sustained growth of this sector. In the context of a smart specialization, GreenUPorto is the first Portuguese Research Centre mainly focused on the horticulture value chain (with a special emphasis on fruits, vegetables, ornamentals and viticulture) both in open-air production systems and under protected cultivation. The preservation of the quality of soils and of agri-ecosystems is also a key priority.
GreenUPorto main goals are:
- To develop scientific research in three main thematic lines;
- To promote collaborations with other national and international Research Centres;
- To promote the growth of intellectual capital and smart specialization through the close collaboration between research and advanced training (MSc and PhD levels), and by attracting national and international researchers of recognized merit in the core research priorities of the Centre;
- To contribute to the sustainable development of the North region in particular and the country in general and to their capacity to respond to challenges posed by the instability of climatic conditions, thus supporting the implementation of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda;
- To contribute to the emergence of new economic activities and to respond to the demands of the current consumers with growing concerns about their health and the safety, quality, nutritional value and sustainability of the agri-food products they consume;
- To contribute to a circular economy by increasing the valorisation of agri-food by-products;
- To contribute to the implementation of a national soil quality assessment strategy that promotes a proper management of this resource to increase its carbon stock, protect its biodiversity, functions, resilience and capacity to provide services;
- To promote a close dialogue and cooperation with regional, national and European authorities with the aim of collaborating in the development and implementation of agronomic, food and environmental policies;
- To promote a permanent dissemination and knowledge transfer, of the main research outputs of GreenUPorto, to the different stakeholders from the agronomic and food sector as well as to funding authorities and the society, thus boosting the local and national economy.