The Municipal Library of Tavira will be the stage for the first of four Conferences in Winter 2025 – History of the Algarvenext Saturday, at 6:30 pm. The series of lectures begins with Carlos Manuel Faísca, who will address the topic “The last stronghold: the persistence of local varieties in Serra do Caldeirão”.
Following this presentation, the next conferences will be led by Marco Sousa Santos (February 15), Brígida Baptista (February 22) and Aurélio Cabrita (March 1).
“From the end of the 19th century, and following the example of more developed countries, several public bodies in Portugal implemented agricultural plant improvement programs with the aim of obtaining varieties with certain characteristics”, says Casa Álvaro de Campos in the summary of the first conference.
“Throughout the 20th century, especially since the Wheat Campaign (1928-1938), these varieties, with higher productivity, but dependent on significant investments in production factors, were progressively replacing local varieties. These new varieties were, for the most part, obtained through hybridization and could be imported from countries such as Italy or developed in Portugal. However, in some regions, such as Serra do Caldeirão, local varieties persisted until the end of the 20th century”, he adds.
In Carlos Manuel Faísca’s communication, the reasons for maintaining these local varieties will be explored, based on an investigation that included field work in Cachopo.
Carlos Manuel Faísca has a degree in History and a PhD in Economics. He is currently an Assistant Researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Coimbra (CEIS20), Guest Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Arts of the same university and President of the Portuguese Association of Economic and Social History (APHES)
His published works include studies on economic inequality, agrarian history and industrial heritage. Among his works, the article “Not all wheats are the same: selection and improvement of wheat in Portugal since early modern times (16th to 20th centuries)” stands out, about to be published in Economic History Research and which serves as the basis for this communication.
The Winter 2025 Conferences – History of the Algarve are organized by , coordinated by Marco Sousa Santos.
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