Portugal: Cork & Wine

Portugal has a Mediterranean climate shown in dark green or climatic type Csb and Csa on the map (Source: Goode’s Atlas). Around the Mediterranean Sea, the winter rains bring most of the moisture (10 to over 20 inches) and with mild year-round temperatures, certain crops are characteristic. Mediterranean agriculture is distinctive: “row crops” of winter wheat and vegetables; “tree crops” of olives, chestnuts, walnuts, almonds, citrus fruits, cork, and grapes; and livestock of pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. Portugal illustrates all these aspects of Mediterranean agriculture; particularly distinctive are its cork and viticulture landscapes.

Agricultural Trends in Portugal. Total labor units in agriculture fell from more than 1.1 million in 1980 (29% of the country's total workforce) to 806,000 in 1990 (18%) and 520,000 in 1993 (12%). Agricultural labor accounted for 11% of the total workforce in 1996. In the same period, the total number of farms fell from 823,000 in 1980 to around 500,000 at present. In fifteen years, the agricultural workforce has decreased by over 60%, while the total number of farms fell by 40% and average farm size increased from 5 to 7.5 hectares (Source: PortugalOffer).

Cork production is concentrated in the South, in the Alentejo and Algarve regions.

Wine production is mostly located in the northern region of Beira along the upper Douro River and along the west coast of Portugal.