Equal Food at SOW Ferro e Fogo

More than 360 people passed through SOW Ferro e Fogo over the weekend. They were not just visitors: they took part in workshops, guided tours, installations, performances and conversations. They ate together, planted together. The event served 280 free meals, always guided by the idea that the table is one of the simplest ways to bring people together. And it did.

Around 100 people were directly involved in preparing and running the activities. In total, 31 organisations took part in shaping this edition, from schools and local collectives to startups, neighbours, artists and projects deeply connected to the reality of Quinta do Ferro.

One of the most interesting aspects of SOW Ferro e Fogo was the way food was used to show that sustainability is not a distant concept. The workshops, food rituals, shared meals and conversations were designed to reveal that food plays a role far beyond the act of eating. It can regenerate spaces, bring generations closer together, create community routines and restore value to resources that had been forgotten.

This is exactly the logic that also guides Equal Food’s work. When we recover fruit and vegetables that would otherwise be discarded and reintegrate them into the food chain, we show that waste is often a lack of vision. At Quinta do Ferro, the same idea was applied to the territory. Nothing is waste when there is a willingness to look at the ingredients differently.

Credits: Seeds on wheels

Another central point was the direct participation of those who live in the area. The event was not a staged setting for visitors. It worked because it involved residents, young people, artists, cooks, neighbours and partners who are already part of life at Quinta do Ferro.

Equal Food shares this vision. We believe in models that respect the people who give them life. We do not approach sustainability from the outside in. We build it with those who plant, harvest, distribute, cook and care. SOW Ferro e Fogo showed the same spirit on a local scale.

Créditos: Seeds on wheels