Cantabrian Bioregion
Biorrexión Cantábrica
Territorial infrastructure for the food transition and resilience
Ortegal · A Mariña · Oscos-Eo
A territory united by the Cantabrian Sea, the river basins, the mountains and a shared culture. We connect people, communities, knowledge, projects and resources to understand the territory, anticipate risks and act collectively.
What a bioregion is
Bio means life. Region names a territory recognised by shared traits. A bioregion is a region understood through the systems that sustain life: climate, water, soils, ecosystems, forms of production, culture and communities.
Discover the territoryWhy act at a bioregional scale
Ortegal, A Mariña and Oscos-Eo form a continuous Atlantic territory connected by the Cantabrian Sea, the river basins, the mountains, the productive landscapes, everyday mobility and a shared food culture. These relationships do not end at administrative boundaries.
Discover the territoryFood and the land-sea relationship as the entry point
Food is understood here in a broad sense: not only production, distribution or consumption, but a cultural, social, ecological and economic infrastructure that connects landscape, identity, community, health, energy, knowledge and ways of life. In the Biorrexión Cantábrica that infrastructure joins land and sea: artisanal fishing, the ports and fish markets, seafaring knowledge, and agricultural and agroecological production.
Discover the processThirteen years building territorial capacity
Since 2013, PRATO_DO has tested formats of responsible gastronomy, education, outreach and direct relationships with producers and communities: itinerant responsible gastronomy, the Arte_Sáns menus, Cociñando and Coñecendo A Mariña Lucense, the producer mappings of the Eo and of Terras de Miranda, the origin of EoAlimenta, ComerEO, Viveiro Sostible, Food Design Fest, A Mariña Lab and ADN Gastronómico. The result is not only a list of projects: it is situated knowledge, relationships of trust, methodologies, communication capacity, documentation and a network of initiatives with the potential to mature.
See the trajectoryThe network is already under way
The Biorrexión Cantábrica does not start from zero. The territory has people, communities, initiatives, spaces, knowledge and networks already working on food, fishing, agroecology, culture, education, care, research and territorial regeneration. Collaborations with universities, foundations, learning networks and local initiatives are being activated, creating new opportunities for cooperation between territories.
See the territorial ecosystemWhat we are building now
The Biorrexión Cantábrica is in a phase of territorial articulation: we are widening the mapping of the ecosystem, activating alliances, defining demonstrator projects and building a shared agenda for the coming years.
Consolidation phase 2026–2027
Between 2026 and 2027 the process concentrates on two fronts: giving the Biorrexión Cantábrica a structure of its own and securing the resources to sustain the territorial weaving work. On that basis, governance opens up to the territory’s initiatives.
Discover the processTerritorial ecosystem
People, communities and initiatives already working in the territory, organised by field of work.
See the territorial ecosystemThe territory in pictures
-
Sunset over the landscape of the Biorrexión -
MERYCSE applied research residency -
Estación Agroecolóxica de Vieiro -
Community around the Teatro das Cortes -
Visiting actors of the territory -
Faba de Lourenzá beans, harvested communally -
Artisan bakery -
Agroecological field visit
Photo library: images to recognise, think about and imagine the territory
This photo library comes from a work of attentive recognition of the Biorrexión Cantábrica. The images do not work only as a record of the landscape, but as an open archive for observing the relationships between territory, communities, trades, food and ways of life. Each photograph invites you to pause, ask questions and recognise elements that can help us think about and imagine the possible futures of the Biorrexión.
Explore the full photo library (opens in a new tab)Get the Biorrexión letter
Every second Tuesday: a project from the territory, what comes out of the working groups and how we organise ourselves.
Subscribe (opens in a new tab)