As the second day of the Weekend Food Festival came to an end, one thing was slowly becoming certain—the leitmotifs of the festival were definitely sustainability, locality and a green future. The panel “Projecto Matéria – the Portuguese way” hosted by João Rodrigues, a Portuguese chef at the Michelin-starred Feitoria restaurant, was dominated by ideas of togetherness and positive change. The Projecto Matéria has set itself an ambitious task—to bring together small, local and indigenous producers in one place. The project started in 2015 on the idea of sourcing local products obtained by ethical cultivation by small producers.
“We called chefs all over the country and found out that everyone had the same problem. Small domestic producers were not networked and many ingredients were easier to obtain from Austria, France or Hungary than from locals. We decided to create a digital map and form a network of local farmers, ranchers and fishermen with the aim of establishing a sustainable local gastronomic scene that would reflect Portugal in its true light,” said Rodrigues. Despite the negative impact of the global pandemic, in the five years since its launch, Projecto Matéria has grown into a positive and warm success story that continues to thrive. Numerous small and local producers and family-run farms, which represent the rich indigenous offer of Portugal, can be found on the platform. This crucial information greatly facilitates chefs’ access to indigenous, local and natural foods, and thus promotes the local food industry and creates a circle “from the field, through the kitchen to the table”. The success of the project is evident, but Rodrigues believes there is still room for improvement. “After the digital map, we want to create a physical space that will bring together the art, nature and culture of various Portuguese regions. This will be something that goes beyond just a gastronomic experience,” he explained.
Projecto Matéria unmistakably reminds us of the Manifesto of Croatian Cuisine presented on the first day of the Weekend Food Festival, which gives hope that sustainability and locality are not only passing trends, but rather a global movement on which we can build a green future.
