A Paisagem da Vaca

The text outlines the transformation of the agricultural landscape in the Entre-Douro-e-Minho region, from a complex, self-sufficient traditional system based on intensive polyculture and integrated use of natural resources, to its gradual dismantling through industrialization and “de-ruralization.” In its place, three main trajectories emerge: specialized modernization (such as dairy production), the persistence of micro-agriculture, and land abandonment or intensive afforestation with non-native species. The “cow landscape” stands as the most radical example of contemporary change, shaped by the logic of global agribusiness, which integrates technology, genetics, and markets into an intensive production system heavily dependent on economic structures and decisions beyond the local territory.
Visually, the article is supported by photographs by Álvaro Domingues and diagrams and infographics by Ivo Poças Martins.