Biography
Pedro Rocha grew up between the beaches of Aguda and the fields of Arcozelo in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. In 2000 he graduated in Environmental and Pollution Sciences from what is now the University of South Wales in the United Kingdom. He also attended the Polytechnic Institute of Wroclaw in Poland, where he studied urban waste management. He began his professional career in Germany as a project assistant, and in 2001 was a consultant in Cape Verde for rural development and water prospecting. In 2003 he returned to Portugal, working in the field of environmental technology. In 2006 he founded the organic farming company “Raízes”, a concept of local production for local consumption, bringing the AMAP/CSA model to the north of Portugal. In 2014 he joined the founder of Noocity and participated in the company’s development process, taking on responsibilities in the areas of technical development, service and the creation of an international network of urban farmers. During these years, he also worked as a consultant for the NGO OIKOS, was vice-president of the Moving Cause Association and completed his master’s degree in organic farming with research into urban-rural relations and innovation processes and sustainable development of rural territories. He currently works as an independent consultant and trainer with a particular focus on the sustainability of food systems and the innovation and sustainable development of rural territories.