In the Lisbon region which is characterized by small and fragmented farms, individual horticultural producers recognized the benefits of cooperation and invested in joint improved production capacity.

The Portuguese region where the project has been implemented is dominated by horticultural production. Average holding size is very small and producers recognized the potential for cooperation.

The objectives of the project were:

1. To improve the performance of four specialized services and agricultural production companies through obtaining better economies of scale in the production process;
2. To adopt environmentally sustainable technologies.