Revitalising Traditional Cereals in Portugal: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Value Chain Development

Abstract

Traditional cereals, recognised for their adaptability, high nutritional value, and unique sensory characteristics, have largely been excluded from global food supply chains. Recent shifts in consumption patterns, particularly in urban areas, indicate a growing demand for high-quality bread, creating new opportunities for farmers interested in sustainable production techniques and traditional varieties. However, challenges such as seed availability, regulatory constraints, marketing strategies, and logistical barriers persist. This study, conducted within the framework of the CERTRA project—Development of Traditional Cereal Value Chains for Sustainable Food in Portugal—aims to enhance the traditional cereal value chain in Portugal by identifying key challenges and opportunities and proposing effective development strategies. The research employs a mixed-method approach, including documentary research, a SWOT analysis based on the scientific literature and stakeholder insights, and a case study methodology examining twelve successful European initiatives. The findings highlight strengths such as seed sovereignty, resilience under low-input farming, and market potential through certification and short food supply chains. However, weaknesses such as lower yields, mechanisation challenges, and seed access restrictions remain critical obstacles. Our analysis suggests that participatory breeding programs, farmer-led seed networks, and hybrid distribution models integrating direct sales, online platforms, and local partnerships can support the revitalisation of traditional cereals. Future research should focus on consumer preferences, branding strategies, and technological innovations that enhance processing efficiency while preserving the ecological and cultural value of traditional varieties.

1. Introduction

Since the 1990s, cereal production in Portugal has declined, resulting in a decrease in self-sufficiency from 39% in 1993 to 18% in 2023 [1]. Compared to other European nations, Portugal has experienced a more pronounced decline in cereal production (77%) over the past three decades [2]. Historically, wheat was the most prevalent cereal in Portugal, representing over one-third of the total cereal acreage, similar to most European countries. However, wheat’s cultivated area has dropped by 91% in the last thirty years, making maize the most important cereal crop. It now takes up 36.5% of the cereal cultivation area, even though its production has dropped by 67% overall. Consistent with the prevailing trend in the EU nations, roughly two-thirds of cereal goes to animal feed and one-third to human consumption [3,4].

To address the growing dependency on external sources and revitalise the country’s cereal production, policymakers have recommended relaunching and promoting programs aimed at improving national varieties, a strategy considered essential for consolidating and expanding domestic production areas [5]. These cereal varieties, known for their high nutritional value, sensory characteristics, and long shelf life [6,7], have largely been excluded from global food supply chains. This is the case in Portugal for several traditional soft wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L. subsp. Aestivum), such as Pirana and Barbela, and maize cultivars (Zea mays L.), such as Da Terra and Santana. The replacement of traditional varieties with modern, genetically uniform elite cultivars was promoted by public policies favouring private investment, including intellectual property rights and high-quality uniform seed markets, which were perceived as essential for maximising yields and ensuring favourable returns for farmers, food security, and market transparency. However, these policies ignored investments in genetic diversity, breeding programs, and improving processes in the food and agriculture industries. Traditional varieties have seldom been developed as commercial crop varieties, resulting in farmers typically having access to a restricted selection of varieties [8,9,10,11]. The substitution of traditional varieties with modern varieties has marked a shift from family-oriented agriculture to a commodity- and market-driven economy [12]. However, recent years have seen the emergence of new consumption patterns in urban areas, driving an increasing demand for high-quality bread [7,11,13]. This presents a promising opportunity for farmers interested in sustainable production methods and the use of traditional varieties.

This is the context for the CERTRA project—Development of Traditional Cereal Value Chains for Sustainable Food in Portugal. Its primary goal is to strengthen the value chain of traditional cereals in line with emerging market trends and consumer preferences while ensuring fair remuneration for producers. In Portugal, although some studies address different aspects of the cereal value chain, such as genetic characterisation [14,15,16], breeding [17,18], agronomic evaluation [19,20], suitability for low-input farming systems [8,21], baking suitability [22,23], or consumer preference [24], no studies have examined the chain holistically. However, the new opportunities and contradictions arising from current challenges faced by farmers—such as meeting citizen and consumer demands and the need for more effective rural and agricultural policies aligned with society’s evolving aspirations—call for innovative, holistic perspectives that integrate all actors in the agri-food chain and leverage all available knowledge.

To foster a comprehensive approach to the traditional cereal value chain and propose effective business models and strategies within the CERTRA project framework, we felt the need to first analyse the chain’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as its opportunities and challenges. Furthermore, analysing the most effective approaches and strategies employed in more advanced European countries in this field, such as France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, seemed crucial for identifying processes that, with suitable adaptations, can be implemented not only in Portugal but also in other countries. The decline in traditional cereal varieties is not limited to Portugal; it is a global issue with important implications for food security, climate resilience, and biodiversity conservation in Europe [25,26,27,28,29] and around the world [30,31,32,33,34]. Examining the factors that influence the success of these initiatives in different contexts can provide useful insights for national and international efforts to promote agrobiodiversity and sustainable agricultural practices. By situating Portugal’s case within this broader framework, this study adds to the growing body of knowledge on the revitalisation of traditional cereals worldwide.

The subsequent sections of this paper are organised as follows. The following section presents the literature that underpins the research theoretical framework. The methodological approach is subsequently delineated, encompassing data collection and analytical techniques employed. In the subsequent section, we present the results and corresponding discussion, emphasising the principal findings and their correlation with existing evidence. To conclude, we outline the main contributions of the research, acknowledge the potential limitations of the study, and propose directions for future research.

2. Theoretical Framework

As emphasised by several authors [35,36,37,38], farmers’ varieties comprise various designations and concepts, such as landraces, heirlooms, traditional varieties, and dynamic or evolutionary populations. As a result, there is little consensus on what they truly incorporate. For the aim of the CERTRA project, we used the designation of traditional varieties, which include germplasms of certain crops generally maintained in farmers’ communities or families in a certain location for several years and, in some cases, maintained across generations. Some of these traditional landraces were submitted to formal breeding, most of the time via participatory plant breeding, and became improved traditional varieties. In CERTRA, we also use synthetics (e.g., “Fandango”) [39] and composite cross populations (e.g., “SinPre”) [21].

The value chain of traditional cereal varieties presents several advantages and challenges that have been widely studied in the context of agricultural sustainability and food security. From the farmers’ perspective, the advantages include resilience and higher yields under marginal conditions, such as poor soils, steep terrains, irregular rainfall patterns, and harsh winters [6,27,38,40,41,42]. Under these conditions, traditional varieties typically require fewer inputs than modern cultivars and require less labour to apply these inputs [40,43]. The superior genetic diversity of local varieties when compared to the modern, genetically uniform elite cultivars not only enables superior performance in challenging conditions but also improves their adaptability to specific agroclimatic environments and their resilience against particular pests, diseases, and weeds [27]. This adaptability makes them attractive to farmers, particularly organic farmers, as it helps minimise risks and ensure greater yield stability under low-input regimes [27,28,36,40,41]. A relevant distinction of local varieties from modern, genetically uniform elite cultivars is that they allow producers to share, conserve, and use their own seeds [40].

The literature identifies several processing-level advantages, including greater suitability for artisanal sourdough baking and traditional recipes [6,27,44]. In some cases, these grains exhibit superior technological quality and performance compared to hybrids in dry grain milling and snack production [45]. At the market level, consumers often perceive cereal products made from local varieties as healthier, more nutritious, and more flavourful than those from modern varieties [6,27,46]. Some research confirms this perception by showing that local varieties feature high levels of grain protein fractions, phenolic compounds, carotenoid content, and antioxidant capacity [45,47]. Additionally, traditional varieties have often been maintained in cultivation due to their cultural value for farmers and local communities owing to their tastes, shapes, colours, and uses in special dishes [37,48] and have the potential to offer innovative products to the market that come with compelling cultural narratives and are linked to authentic storytelling [7,49]. As a result, traditional varieties can be sold at higher prices than conventional cereal products in high- and middle-income countries in the Global North [7,28,40]. A study by [28] analysed the evolution of the socio-economic system established in Sicily by the Simenza Association surrounding durum wheat landraces. The research showed that the value differential of landraces, in conjunction with organic farming, is consistently increasing annually, signifying the emergence of a highly promising niche market that reconciles farmers’ economic interests with biodiversity preservation.

Despite their numerous advantages, several studies highlight significant drawbacks of traditional cereal varieties that limit their competitiveness and adoption in modern farming. They generally yield less than modern varieties [27]. Their typically greater height makes them particularly prone to lodging, complicating mechanical harvesting compared to modern cultivars [40,50]. In some cases, they exhibit low frost tolerance and susceptibility to downy mildew and other common foliar diseases [40]. Throughout the value chain, harvesting, cleaning, conditioning, and milling the grains require considerable time and often demand specific equipment not always available on farms or at artisanal processing units [6]. For specific applications, the shift from traditional to modern varieties was due, in part, to the latter’s superior processing qualities and uniformity, as highlighted by [40,51] in beer production.

In addition to internal factors, the literature also examines opportunities and threats affecting the value chain of traditional cereal varieties in a production and market context. A key opportunity lies in the growing demand for locally produced foods that not only meet nutritional needs but also resonate with cultural heritage and sustainable practices [7,46,52]. At the same time, short food supply chains, in which heritage cereals fit well, have gained traction [7,37,38], and several major supermarket chains have quickly responded to rising demand for local products by endorsing their own lines of local produce [53]. Furthermore, the distinctive characteristics of traditional varieties and their connection to the territory’s cultural and traditional values create an opportunity for added value creation through the attribution of geographical indications, such as protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI), trademarks, and quality labels [38].

Similarly, the recognition by citizens and policymakers of the need to safeguard and protect traditional farmers’ knowledge [35] is reflected in international legislation, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), which promote not only the conservation but also the sustainable use of agrobiodiversity. Even in Europe, where seed marketing regulations establish inadequate and disproportionately restrictive criteria for their registration and production [6,35,37], seed regulations have recently been adjusted to allow for the exchange of local variety seeds, albeit on a limited scale [27]. This is the case of seeds of landraces classified as “conservation varieties” in the European Catalogue of Varieties, which may be sold under specific restrictions, including annual quantity limitations and designated sales regions. Additionally, the seeds of the newly established category of “organic heterogeneous material” (OHM) can be sold within the framework of organic agriculture.

Other opportunities for the traditional varieties value chain emerge from the capacity of these varieties to address some of the crucial challenges facing contemporary global agri-food systems, such as the need to produce more food for an expanding population with limited arable land and freshwater resources in the context of global climate change [40,54,55]. Traditional varieties are a source of many useful traits and vital information regarding the physiological and genetic mechanisms of robustness and stability in stressed conditions, which can be effectively employed in crop breeding initiatives in light of climate change [27,40,42].

A primary threat to the enhancement of traditional cereal value chains is the genetic erosion that has significantly diminished cereal diversity as a result of the replacement, since the early 20th century, of traditional varieties of major cereals with modern elite hybrids [37,40]. Simultaneously, farmers’ expertise in on-farm variety conservation has diminished, hindering seed reproduction, as younger farmers frequently lack the ability to employ techniques usually applied in the past [6,28]. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that, despite recent developments, the existing EU seed marketing regulations do not encompass the full spectrum of farmers’ innovations and varieties, imposing inadequate and excessively restrictive criteria for the registration and production of seeds from traditional varieties [35,37]. As a result, access to seeds of traditional varieties is often limited [52].

Another threat is the globalisation of cereal commodities, which reduces the value of traditional varieties in regions with no historical or cultural ties to the crop [11,40]. Even at the national or local levels, the wide morphological and agronomic variations among traditional varieties present challenges for consumers who are used to standard market products [6].

3. Materials and Methods

This study was carried out in two key stages: (1) analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) of the traditional cereals value chain and (2) analysis of successful business models in other European regions.

The first stage of the analysis included an extensive review of the scientific literature, which was supplemented with a questionnaire completed by key stakeholders who participated in the project’s CERTRA field activities, including cereal farmers, technicians, and researchers with specialised knowledge in cereal breeding, cultivation, and marketing. The interview guide included 15 sentences derived from the literature review about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of traditional varieties, to which interviewees responded with agreement or disagreement on a five-point Likert scale. At the end, participants were asked if they had any more strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats to add to the list. We also questioned cereal farmers about their production of traditional cereal varieties and their reasons for choosing these crops. Following the completion of the questionnaire, open discussions between the participants occurred. The discussions were recorded and then examined. The questionnaire was not designed to produce statistically representative results but rather to serve as a discussion exercise with key stakeholders (21 farmers, 12 technicians, and 12 researchers). The objective was to identify any additional SWOT elements that may have been overlooked in the literature. Since stakeholder insights predominantly validated existing findings, we deemed it unnecessary to expand the sample size.

In the second stage, a case study methodology was employed. We began by systematically investigating European Union-funded initiatives focussed on the preservation and promotion of traditional crop varieties, using project websites and repositories. From this, nine projects specifically related to traditional cereals were identified and analysed. We then applied a snowball sampling approach, where references within these projects, expert recommendations, and additional sources helped to identify further relevant initiatives. Selection criteria included (i) a minimum of three years of operation to ensure sustainability; (ii) an active role in traditional cereal production, processing, or marketing; and (iii) sufficient publicly available information for analysis. Finally, twelve case studies were chosen to reflect diverse geographical contexts, governance models, and strategies employed in the traditional cereals value chain across European nations. The chosen case studies are presented in

Table 1. Successful case studies in the traditional cereal value chain in Europe.

Initiative	Country	Date	Products
Kornkreis	Germany	1991	Emmer and spelt noodles, boiled spelt
Allkorn	Sweden	2004	Grains, flour, bread, pastries, granola
L’Odyssée d’engrain	France	2011	Pasta
Scotland Bread	United Kingdom	2012	Flour and grains
Spiga Negra	Spain	2014	Flour and pasta
Simenza	Italy	2016	Seeds, grains, flour
Farmer-Miller-Baker Network	Hungary	2018	Artisanal bakery products
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen	Belgium	2018	Beer
Au cœur du pain	Belgium	2020	Flour and bread
Thort Y Tir	United Kingdom	2021	Flour, bread, pizzas
Floriddia	Italy	Not available	Grains, flour, pasta, bread, and other bakery products
The Little Mill	Ireland	Not available	Flour

.

A content analysis methodology was applied for digital and online resources, encompassing websites, videos, and PDF documents related to each case across five dimensions: value proposition, pricing, distribution channels, partnerships, and governance. Upon initial analysis, we gathered assertions related to each case regarding the four dimensions and compiled a list of pertinent categories for each dimension. Subsequently, all case studies were re-evaluated with consideration of each identified category.

Figure 1 presents a flow chart that illustrates the principal stages of this research.

4. Results

4.1. SWOT Analysis

Table 2. Internal factors influencing the value chain of traditional cereals.

STRENGTHS (+)

WEAKNESSES (−)

- Seeds can be saved and used by farmers. - Farmers can select and breed for local adaptation, together with other actors. - Enhanced yield stability, particularly in marginal settings (poor soils) with limited water, fertiliser, and other inputs. - Better competition with weeds. - More resistant to pests and diseases native to the regions where they evolved. - More appropriate for low-input, organic farming, and polycropping systems in general. - Leave the soil in a better state at the end of the cycle. - Grains have a longer storage capacity. - Some species and varieties show better performance in milling. - Suited for making artisanal bread and preparing traditional dishes. - Connected to local culture and traditions. - Create higher-quality food in terms of health, nutrition, and organoleptic properties. - Better impact on the landscape, especially related to agritourism.

- Under ideal agronomic conditions, yields are lower than in modern varieties. - Seeds are more difficult to find. - When seeds exist, the registration process is not always accessible. - More susceptible to lodging, which complicates mechanised harvesting. - Milling can be more difficult and energy intensive (e.g., flint maize). - It is not always easy to make the connection between a traditional variety and a specific location or region. - Different regions may use different names for the same variety or the same name for multiple varieties. - Commercial variety products can be more nutritious. - Lack of uniformity and consistency in marketed products.

and

Table 3. External factors influencing the value chain of traditional cereals.

OPPORTUNITIES (+)

THREATS (−)

- Alignment with the EU’s vision of a greener, more resilient, and inclusive food system. - The exchange and sale of seeds of traditional varieties are being facilitated by European seed legislation (OHM and conservation varieties). - The tolerance of cultivated plants to climate change is becoming increasingly important. - There is an increasing demand for local, traditional, and artisanal products. - Potential for added value through geographical certifications (e.g., PDO, PGI). - Potential for innovation in participatory research towards breeding cropping systems and economic models.

- Traditional varieties continue to face excessive restrictions under EU seed marketing legislation. - Genetic erosion has significantly reduced the diversity of traditional varieties. - Different concepts and terminologies are associated with “traditional variety”. - Farmers’ knowledge of seed preservation and how to incorporate traditional varieties in their farming systems (for example, intercropping and crop succession) is being lost. - Global cereal markets do not value the origin.

present a SWOT analysis based on a literature review and insights from CERTRA project partners, including farmers, technicians, and experts. One of the most recognised advantages of traditional varieties at the farm level is the ability to replicate seeds, which allows for on-farm selection and adaptation to local environmental conditions and farmers’ preferences. This continued local selection over several generations of farmers has led to traditional varieties being able to better resist and perform in marginal conditions where most modern varieties are not able to produce, as documented by [31], who compared the behaviour of old Italian wheat varieties and modern varieties in organic farming in hilly and mountainous regions. The claimed higher yield stability of traditional varieties when compared to modern varieties, while largely confirmed by CERTRA project partners, was one of the least indicated benefits, indicating that this feature may be controversial.

In terms of processing and market potential, some traditional varieties perform better than modern varieties in milling and are well-suited for artisanal food making and traditional culinary uses. Several products, such as the traditional Portuguese “broa” or the Spanish “talo”, are mainly made from local varieties of maize [45]. Their strong cultural and traditional ties make them ideal for niche markets and agritourism initiatives. This connection to the territory was also one of the most positively rated features by CERTRA partners. Furthermore, products derived from traditional varieties are frequently perceived as higher-quality foods in terms of health, nutrition, and sensory properties. For example, [42] show that gluten quality and total polyphenol and flavonoid content are higher in Italian old wheat varieties than in modern wheat varieties. Moreover, [47] noticed that open-pollinated maize varieties outperformed hybrid varieties in terms of technological quality and bioactive compound content. According to [56], ancient wheat varieties have shown convincing beneficial effects on various parameters linked to cardio-metabolic diseases, such as lipid and glycaemic profiles, as well as inflammatory and oxidative status.

The most significant weakness is traditional varieties’ lower yield potential under optimal agronomic conditions, which makes them less competitive in conventional, high-input farming systems. Ref. [41] investigated how Sicilian wheat landraces and modern varieties responded to organic and conventional management. They discovered that landraces had an average 15.4% higher grain yield under conventional irrigated management than rainfed organic management, whereas modern varieties had an average 27.5% grain yield increase. Seed availability is another major constraint, as highlighted by CERTRA partners. Traditional seeds are often difficult to find and subject to complex registration processes, limiting farmers’ access to them. A further constraint is that most traditional varieties are taller and have a higher tendency to lodge, which, combined with their inherent diversity, complicates mechanisation in harvesting and other agricultural operations. The topic of mechanisation, while not explicitly addressed by the CERTRA stakeholders, was raised during discussions by multiple farmers.

At the processing and market levels, the milling phase presents the most significant challenge identified in the literature, as traditional cereals are typically harder, necessitating more energy- and time-intensive processing methods. This is not, however, generalisable, depending on the cereals and varieties being compared [42]. The lack of a clear geographical identity for certain traditional varieties, as well as inconsistent naming across regions, can lead to market confusion, making it difficult for consumers and producers to establish a clear variety-to-location connection, as highlighted by CERTRA partners in the case of the traditional wheat variety Barbela. Furthermore, traditional cereals are less uniform and consistent than commercial varieties, which can be a disadvantage in large-scale production and standardised food markets. Finally, while traditional cereals are frequently associated with higher nutritional quality, some commercial varieties have been scientifically bred for increased nutrient content, calling into question the notion that all traditional cereals are inherently more nutritious.

External factors (Table 3) provide significant opportunities for the traditional cereal value chain, particularly in light of current European agricultural policies and the EU’s vision for a greener, more resilient, and inclusive food system. Furthermore, recent changes in European seed legislation, particularly the recognition of OHM and conservation varieties, make the exchange and sale of traditional seeds easier, removing a significant barrier to their widespread adoption. Although climate change poses significant challenges to the food system, it may also present an opportunity for traditional varieties, which are typically more adaptable to extreme weather, poor soil conditions, and low-input agricultural systems.

The noticeable increase in consumer demand for local, traditional, and artisanal products creates a significant market opportunity for traditional cereal varieties. Consumers are increasingly looking for foods that are authentic, sustainably produced, and culturally significant. This trend creates new opportunities for geographical certifications like PDO and PGI, which can boost market value and help traditional cereals stand out in competitive markets. According to an empirical study conducted in Macedonia [46], 94.5% of respondents would rather buy bread made from a local wheat variety than a modern, imported variety, while 88.8% would pay more for flour, bread, and other products made from local varieties. Traditional cereals are distinguished by their ability to be included in participatory breeding programs, new cropping systems, and alternative economic models, all of which can increase genetic diversity, improve adaptation to modern agricultural challenges, and strengthen local food systems.

Among the most serious threats identified in the literature are the remaining restrictions on EU seed marketing legislation, which favour commercial varieties over traditional ones, restrict farmers’ ability to legally sell and distribute traditional seeds, and make it more difficult to preserve and improve traditional varieties. In this context, genetic erosion remains a major concern. Another major threat is the loss of knowledge of traditional farming, particularly in seed preservation, intercropping, and crop rotation techniques. As older generations leave agriculture, valuable expertise in maintaining and cultivating these varieties disappears, reducing traditional cereal production’s long-term viability.

Finally, unlike high-value food products, such as wine and cheese, global cereal markets put less emphasis on origin. As stated by [57], the existence of cereal products labelled as PDO and GPI is more strongly linked to environmental and cultural values compared to that of meat or cheese. Cereals are primarily traded as commodities, with price and yield prevailing over traditional or regional identity. As pointed out by several CERTRA project partners, without targeted marketing strategies or policy interventions, traditional cereals will struggle to compete in this market structure, which favours large-scale, standardised production.

4.2. Successful Business Models in Europe

As previously stated, traditional cereal initiative business models were analysed across five dimensions: value proposition, pricing, distribution channels, partnerships, and governance. A value proposition is the set of benefits that a company promises to provide to current and future customers, demonstrating why and how customers benefit from consuming a specific product or service [58,59]. In the context of this research, it could be interpreted as the beneficial attributes that traditional cereal offers to the customers of the 12 initiatives used as case studies.

Table 4. Frequency analysis of beneficial attributes in traditional cereal initiatives.

Categories	Frequency
Organic	11
Traditional	8
Local	8
Certified	8
Better organoleptic qualities	7
Community-based	7
Nourishing	6
Artisanal	6
Healthier	6
Promotes agrobiodiversity	6

displays a frequency analysis of the 10 most prevalent categories of these benefits identified in the content analysis. It highlights the dominant terms employed in the value proposition of traditional cereal marketing initiatives, offering insights into their positioning strategies to address modern customer demands.

The term most frequently used is “organic”, which appears in almost every initiative and, when combined with “agrobiodiversity promotion” (six mentions), emphasises the importance that most initiatives place on environmental and ecological values. The fact that eight initiatives mention “certification” stresses the importance of trustworthiness. The nutritional and health advantages (six mentions each) of traditional cereals are also strongly highlighted by the initiatives’ value propositions. All of the previous values align with environmental and health-conscious consumers’ points of view, as well as consumers’ expectations for premium products.

Two additional significant sources of product differentiation employed in the initiatives’ value propositions are the products’ local (eight mentions) and traditional (eight mentions) characteristics, which, together with the notion of organoleptic qualities (seven mentions) and artisanal production (six mentions), illustrate the valorisation of authenticity and cultural heritage. The focus on community (seven mentions) signifies a commitment to social impact and local empowerment, underscoring the initiatives’ dedication to cultivating stronger connections within local communities. This strategy is especially attractive to consumers who are sensitive to social issues and wish to endorse products and brands that reflect their values of inclusivity, equity, and community welfare.

Regarding pricing, not all initiatives demonstrated a clear pricing strategy, and two of them proposed multiple strategies.

Table 5. Frequency analysis of pricing in traditional cereal initiatives.

Categories	Frequency
Fair	6
Affordable/accessible	4
Premium	2
Decent	1

displays the categories most commonly associated with pricing strategies in the traditional cereal initiatives studied.

However, the definitions of the price categories remain ambiguous because they are not explained in the data. Our interpretation is that the pricing categories “fair”, “affordable”, and “decent” are not distinct concepts but rather overlap. The category “affordable” seems to be more consumer-oriented, whereas “fair” is used for both producers and consumers. Despite this ambiguity, it is worth noting that only two initiatives mention “price premium”, usually associated with market niches, whereas four initiatives explicitly state their goal of providing cereal products affordable and accessible to everyone.

Regarding distribution channels, five main categories were considered in the analysis (

Table 6. Frequency analysis of distribution channels in traditional cereal initiatives.

Categories	Frequency
Online store	7
Direct sales	7
Wholesalers and retailers in general	6
Restaurants and bakeries	5
Small local businesses	4

): (1) online stores, referring to sales via digital platforms directly to consumers or retailers and wholesalers; (2) direct sales, representing transactions in which cereal producers or initiatives sell products directly to consumers without the use of intermediaries (sales at community events, producers’ markets, or farm gate sales); (3) small local businesses (locally owned and operated stores or establishments) that frequently emphasise local or artisanal products; (4) restaurants and bakeries; and (5) wholesalers and retailers in general, which refer to a broad range of commercial entities with a wider geographic reach.

The results presented in Table 6 indicate that traditional cereal initiatives employ a hybrid distribution strategy. Most initiatives employed multiple distribution channels to market their products. The high frequency of direct sales suggests that many traditional cereal initiatives prioritise short food supply chain (SFSC) values by enhancing physical, organisational, and social proximity between producers and consumers [60,61,62,63]. Restaurants, bakeries, and small local businesses also contribute to the relevance of the SFSC in the initiatives by fostering direct connections, minimising intermediaries, and enhancing producer control [64]. Digital platforms, while affecting the connection between producers and consumers, can still adhere to SFSC principles, especially when initiatives manage their own e-commerce channels. However, by allowing producers to reach a larger audience, they typically expand beyond local boundaries [65], reaching clients other than final consumers. In fact, none of the online shops in the case studies differentiated between their customers: they could serve final consumers, wholesalers, or retailers.

In terms of partnerships, all initiatives, including private companies, form strong alliances with other value chain players (

Table 7. Frequency analysis of partnerships in traditional cereal initiatives.

Categories	Frequency
Only horizontal	6
Horizontal and vertical	6
Partnerships, including research centres	8

). Half of the initiatives preferred to form partnerships with other agents at the same level of the value chain (horizontal partnerships), while the other half formed more broad partnerships with multiple types of value chain agents (farmers, millers, bakers, mill constructors, researchers), both at the same level and at different levels (horizontal and vertical partnerships). The vast majority maintained close ties with universities and research institutions, often through participatory research and citizen science, involving producers and scientists in the development of crops that are best suited to environmental conditions and the needs of farmers, processors, and consumers.

The governance structures of the twelve traditional cereal marketing initiatives take a variety of approaches, reflecting each initiative’s unique goals, scale, and organisational context. To better organise the data, four categories were considered: (1) private company, which refers to a for-profit business structure; (2) farmers’ association, which is a collaborative organisation owned and operated by farmers, with decisions made collectively by members; (3) community benefit society, which is a type of cooperative designed to operate for the benefit of a specific community; and (4) network, which is an informal or semi-formal, decentralised, collaborative structure with multiple stakeholders (farmers, processors, distributors) working together.

Following this typology,

Table 8. Frequency analysis of governance models in traditional cereal initiatives.

Categories	Frequency
Private company	4
Farmers’ association	3
Community benefit society	3
Network	2

presents a frequency analysis of the governance models present in the twelve traditional cereal initiatives. Private companies are the most common governance model, accounting for four initiatives, followed by farmers’ associations and community benefit societies, each with three mentions.

5. Discussion

The successful European case studies examined in the current research, combined with the SWOT analysis, provide valuable insights for developing strategies that can capture the internal and external benefits of traditional cereals in Portugal while also addressing the internal and external constraints, thereby promoting the associated value chain. Advocacy for traditional varieties is consistent with the EU’s agricultural and food policies, particularly those outlined in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy. Traditional cereals help to mitigate climate change and decrease agriculture’s environmental impact by reducing reliance on chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and irrigation while increasing soil fertility. Simultaneously, they may help to achieve the national and European goal of a 25% increase in organic agricultural land by 2030.

As in other European countries, one major impediment to the development of the traditional cereal value chain in Portugal is the difficulty of obtaining and legally distributing seeds, as current regulations favour commercial varieties. The case studies show that participatory breeding programs and seed networks can provide effective solutions. Initiatives such as Simenza (Italy) and Allkorn (Sweden) have developed farmer-led seed systems, allowing producers to conserve, improve, and exchange traditional varieties while preserving genetic diversity. A similar collaborative seed network in Portugal, supported by agronomic research and policy changes, could improve seed availability and legal recognition.

Traditional cereals struggle to compete in global grain markets dominated by large-scale production and low prices. On the one hand, the traditional cereal chain, like most agricultural systems based on agrobiodiversity, leaves little room for standardisation, resulting in higher transaction costs. On the other hand, the technical characteristics of the production process (storage, milling, and bakery) make it difficult to shorten the supply chain [66]. The presence of wholesalers and retailers in general as important distribution channels in the initiatives we examined suggests that the majority of them have taken a practical approach to achieving scale and accessibility. Nonetheless, SFSC methods such as direct sales, farmer–baker partnerships, and local and online stores may ensure profitability, especially in niche markets. The Farmer-Miller-Baker Network (Hungary) and Scotland the Bread (UK) took an integrated value chain approach, with farmers collaborating directly with processors and consumers to generate demand.

The SWOT analysis shows that consumers prefer healthier, locally sourced, and traditional food products [67,68,69,70,71,72]. However, bakery product certification schemes such as PDO and PGI, which are popular in Spain, France, and Italy, remain uncommon in Portugal. Case studies, such as L’Odyssée d’Engrain (France) and Spiga Negra (Spain), demonstrate that connecting traditional cereals to geographical identity, artisanal production, and health benefits can attract premium customers. However, it is worth noting that only two initiatives mention “price premium”, which is typically associated with market niches, whereas four of them explicitly state their goal of making cereal products affordable and accessible to all. Although promoting local branding, storytelling, and certification could help position traditional cereals as high-quality products rather than low-yield alternatives to elite varieties, the development of Portugal’s traditional value chain must not overlook the need to provide quality food to the general population and not only to specific market niches.

The SWOT analysis also identifies lower yields and mechanisation difficulties as major challenges. Several case studies show that these barriers can be overcome through low-input farming models, diverse cropping systems, and innovative processing techniques. Floriddia (Italy), for example, combines agroecological practices with modern milling technologies to improve efficiency while preserving tradition. Portugal could benefit from similar strategies that encourage agroecological research and investment in small-scale equipment and infrastructure, both at the production and processing levels.

Despite the differences among initiatives, data analysis reveals an emphasis on collaborative governance. This is more evident in community-based initiatives that emphasise inclusivity, shared goals and benefits, participatory research, knowledge exchange, and collective action, but also in the four private companies that, while market-driven, maintain strong ties to the community and engage in ethical and sustainable practices as part of their mission.

This study examines the challenges and opportunities in Portugal’s traditional cereal value chain, establishing a foundation for future research and policy development. Nonetheless, it possesses certain limitations. The SWOT analysis relied on stakeholder opinions, which, although informative, may introduce subjectivity in evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the traditional cereal value chain. Secondly, although the case study approach effectively identifies best practices, it concentrates on a limited number of European experiences, which may not encompass the full range of strategies and solutions available for promoting traditional cereal varieties. Ultimately, given that this study is based on documentary research and qualitative methods, certain findings may necessitate empirical validation through market research and field work. Specifically, it excludes the direct perspectives of managers and other participants in case study initiatives. Interviewing the initiatives’ stakeholders could help improve the conclusions by providing deeper insights into the chosen strategies, particularly pricing decisions.

6. Conclusions

This study’s findings emphasise the challenges and opportunities within the value chain of traditional cereals, alongside the business models employed in various case studies across European countries to leverage these opportunities and address the challenges. A SWOT analysis revealed the internal and external factors that may facilitate or hinder the development of the traditional cereal value chain in Portugal. The case studies show that these issues can be addressed through innovative business models that emphasise the local nature of production, its connection to tradition and organoleptic qualities, and its contribution to consumer health, agrobiodiversity conservation, and an ecological mode of production.

A holistic strategy tailored to Portugal’s context, able to meet consumer demands and sustainable development goals, should prioritise the establishment of a strong seed network, the promotion of participatory governance, and the cultural and environmental value of traditional cereals.

Additional research into Portuguese consumer behaviour and preferences for traditional cereals, effective branding and certification, the role of SFSCs, and online distribution may provide useful insights for marketing and product development strategies in the Portuguese traditional cereal value chain. Furthermore, the possibility of incorporating modern technology to increase the productivity of traditional varieties while preserving their ecological and cultural significance is worth investigating. Innovations such as participatory plant breeding, precision agriculture, the incorporation of ecological processes that reduce reliance on industrial inputs, and adapted milling techniques could improve efficiency while preserving the integrity of traditional cereal systems.

Future research should investigate consumer preferences and market potential for traditional cereals in Portugal and other regions based on the findings of this study. Empirical studies on consumer willingness to pay, branding strategies, and the effectiveness of certification schemes (e.g., PDO, PGI), alongside the role of SFSCs and online distribution, could yield valuable insights for marketing and product development. Agronomic trials, especially those focussed on participatory plant breeding, are essential for evaluating and enhancing the productivity, resilience, and adaptation of traditional cereal varieties across varied climatic and agricultural contexts, particularly in light of climate change. Further studies should investigate regulatory frameworks and seed market accessibility, focussing on strategies to enhance the legal recognition and distribution of traditional varieties. Comparative studies across diverse geographical regions will yield important insights into the successful revitalisation of traditional cereal value chains within various agricultural and economic contexts.