Contact/s:
Eva Ramos
eramos@consulai.com
Beatriz Almeida
balmeida@consulai.com
Multi-actor Governance for Managing a Complex Stakeholder Network in the Montado Living Lab
Portugal
Portugal – Mediterranean
1. Shared and transparent governance
2. Greater stakeholder engagement and trust
3. More efficient decision-making for climate-smart solutions
Thematic Areas
Production System/s
Summary for Practicioners on the Main Finding(s)/Innovative solution(s)
The Montado Living Lab, established in southern Portugal within the Climate Farm Demo network, aims to increase the resilience of the Montado agroforestry system, where drought, desertification, soil and tree health, and economic viability require coordinated action. A key innovation is its governance model for managing a diverse network of farmers, researchers, advisors, companies, associations and public authorities.
Large multi-actor networks can face misalignment, unclear expectations and overly linear decision-making. The Living Lab therefore established a General Assembly, common rules and protocol, and a Coordination Board representing different stakeholder groups. These mechanisms provide formal spaces to include different perspectives, clarify responsibilities, align priorities and turn contributions into a shared action plan. During the first General Assembly, stakeholders agreed that participating farmers should provide at least two plots for testing and demonstration, helping align expectations and ensure comparability between activities.
In practice, the model combines regular meetings, participatory methods, role definition, internal communication, and mapping of projects, expertise and resources to identify synergies, gaps and collaboration opportunities. It can support trust, transparency and ownership while enabling the co-creation of climate-smart solutions. One example is rotational grazing: defining grazing areas, rest periods, animal numbers and grazing time helps avoid overgrazing, erosion and soil degradation, while promoting pasture and soil regeneration. The governance model brings farmers, advisors and researchers together to adapt these practices to Montado conditions.
For other Living Labs and multi-actor networks, the key lesson is to treat governance as a practice. Clear rules, responsibilities, communication and decision channels can make complex networks more stable and inclusive and support continuity beyond the project.
Summary for Practicioners in Native Language
O Living Lab do Montado, criado no sul de Portugal no âmbito da rede Climate Farm Demo, pretende reforçar a resiliência deste sistema agroflorestal, onde a seca, a desertificação, a saúde do solo e das árvores e a viabilidade económica exigem uma ação coordenada. Uma inovação central é o seu modelo de governação, concebido para gerir uma rede diversificada de agricultores, investigadores, consultores, empresas, associações e autoridades públicas.
As grandes redes multiator podem enfrentar desalinhamentos, expectativas pouco claras e processos de decisão demasiado lineares. Por isso, o Living Lab criou uma Assembleia Geral, regras e um protocolo comuns e um Conselho de Coordenação representativo dos diferentes grupos de partes interessadas. Estes mecanismos proporcionam espaços formais para integrar diferentes perspetivas, clarificar responsabilidades, alinhar prioridades e transformar contributos num plano de ação partilhado.
Additional Information
Additional Dissemination and Communication Materal(s)
Climate Farm Demo Website Article: Living Lab Portugal: Combating Desertification in Montado
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