Sustainability of Extensive Livestock Systems in Alentejo: Viability in the Face of Rising Energy Prices

European farming is dealing with global questions as food safety, climate change and energy, while attempting to sustain competitiveness in world markets, higher standards of food production and responding to new demands for public goods and services. The energy requirements of food production are here a central issue. But a literature review on this topic, centered in the Mediterranean, reveals a lack of deep analysis on the energy dependency of different types of farming. The montado is an agro-silvo-pastoral system dominant in Southern Portugal. It’s often presented as an example of a sustainable land use system, adapted to the natural constrains on Mediterranean Europe. Natural pastures, shrubs, acorns, slugs, mushrooms and tree leafs are important renewable resources that can be used in an extensive food production system. But increasing amounts of nonrenewable inputs are being used when the intensification of the montado occurs, as mechanical mobilization and culture irrigation that requires purchased energy or purchased feed and seeds. This paper presents preliminary research aimed at tackling the assessment of the energy use in the montado system and the related food production system, in three large-scale agro-silvo-pastoral farms with different intensification levels. The assessment of energy use focuses on calf production, to identify the conditions for maximum sustainability and viability in relation to rising energy prices. The paper describes the conceptual framework, the goals of the research and the methodological steps defined.