The annual consortium meeting of the FOREST4EU project took place from January 8 to 10, 2025, in Lisbon, Portugal. The event was organized by the Faculdade de Ci\u00eancias da Universidade de Lisboa, with participants gathering to evaluate the achievements of the second year of the project, discuss challenges in forest soil management, and define the direction for future activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Side event was organised as opportunity for the discussion of collaboration with the ECHO project, which focuses on involving citizens in soil protection and restoration. This partnership emphasizes the importance of collective action in combating soil degradation and addressing the consequences of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the final day the EC REA project officer joined the meeting virtually and presented the relevant EU policies and strategies, as well as Horizon Europe funded projects related to the forestry and agroforestry sectors as potential future collaborations. Moreover, the field visit was organized to the Herdade do Pinheiro forest area in the natural reserve of the Sado River. During the visit, participants were introduced to the Montado ecosystem and the sustainable forestry practices implemented in Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FOREST4EU project promotes the sustainability of forestry and agroforestry, with a special emphasis on rural areas, through innovative business models, social innovations, and climate change resilience measures. The project facilitates knowledge transfer of existing operational groups and encourages the creation of new alliances between farmers, foresters, policymakers, and other stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n