“The creation of this indigenous breed has allowed the creation of living and sustenance conditions in regions so often forgotten and that have unfortunately suffered and witnessed the phenomenon of rural exodus,” said Nuno Paulo, administrator of the Mirandesa Agricultural Cooperative.


Mirandese breeders’ associations rejected the statements of the rector of the University of Coimbra, which last week announced the banning of beef from canteens, the first step to make the University “the first Portuguese carbon neutral university” by 2030.


Breeders of Mirandese meat, which has the seal of production of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), say that it is produced with environmental concerns, grazed on traditional mudflats with the use of herbaceous and shrub vegetation.


“The Mirandese breed of cattle only stands out for its quality, it is not a competitive breed, exploited from the perspective of pure and hard profitability, producing only kilograms of meat,” he added.


Nuno Paulo said that the cooperative supplies meat to several school canteens and appealed to public entities to promote the consumption of national products in their canteens, discriminating them positively, promoting job creation and development of the country in an integrated way.