Socio-economic characterization of Portuguese kiwi growers: facing current social and sustainability challenges

Abstract

This paper reports a socio-economic characterization of the Portuguese kiwifruit sector. A survey was applied between 2019 and 2020 to a sample of 94 kiwifruit farmers (males 76%, females 24%). 72 percent of the participants declare that kiwi cultivation is a complementary occupation characterized by an intergenerational pattern (25.6%). Almost 70 percent of the orchards are under 5 ha, and 26.8 percent declare that their company does not have a positive turnover. The labour force is mainly seasonal. Regarding the challenges, 21.1 percent struggle with disease control in their orchards and 19.0 percent have difficulty in finding workers. The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic dynamics underpinning kiwifruit cultivation in Portugal, offering insights for policy interventions and sectoral development strategies.