Empresas na fileira (2024)
1 269Diversify Algarve · value chain 01
Carob and Almond.
Entrepreneur profile, economic diagnosis and business dynamics.
Key indicators
Volume de negócios (2024)
41,5 M€VAB (2024) · +123% vs. 2019
8,5 M€Pessoas ao serviço (2024)
1 353Productivity: processing vs. production
~51×Empresas em Loulé (maior polo)
471Expect to grow over the next 3 years
73%Exportações (2024)
2,2 M€Methodology. Economic indicators come from Statistics Portugal for 2019–2024. Entrepreneurship, outlook and innovation results are based on 11 valid responses to the Algarve Empreende 2026 survey, equivalent to a 1% overall response rate; they should be interpreted as exploratory indicators, not as estimates for the entire sector.
Context
This value chain is an agricultural and agro-industrial activity with deep historical ties to the Algarve’s barrocal and mountain areas, well suited to Mediterranean conditions and regional water scarcity. For statistical analysis, it is defined by two economic activity codes: CAE 01251 — nut crops, covering carob and almond production, which is mainly small and medium-scale and territorially dispersed; and CAE 10394 — preparation and preservation of nuts, covering the processing stage, which has a higher degree of formalisation and capacity to create value. Economic indicators come from Statistics Portugal (2019–2024); entrepreneur profiles result from a survey of value-chain stakeholders.
Economic profile
Economic profile of the value chain.
Statistics Portugal economic indicators for 2019–2024, distinguishing agricultural production and processing.
Economic indicators
Businesses
1,269 businesses +10% since 2019 · 19.8% national shareTurnover
41.5 €M +20% since 2019 · 13.9% national shareOutput
32.3 €M +44% since 2019 · 11.2% national shareGVA
8.5 €M +123% since 2019 · 20.4% national sharePeople employed
1,353 people +11% since 2019 · 17.8% national shareNet income
6.1 €M +16% since 2019 · Portugal recorded a loss in the yearInvestment / GFCF
2.9 €M −50% since 2019 · 4.4% national shareExports
2.18 €M −40% since 2019 · operators based in the AlgarveSource: Statistics Portugal — business demography and economic indicators by CAE. Productivity = GVA per employee. “Share” = Algarve weight in the national total.
Productivity by segment
€ / employee- Processing81,101 € / employee
- Output1,604 € / employee
GVA per employee. Processing productivity is around 51 times higher than production productivity. Source: Statistics Portugal.
Exports by product
€M- Carob2.05 €M
- Almond0.13 €M
Exports reported by operators based in the Algarve.
Empresas por concelho
businesses- Loulé471 businesses
- Tavira178 businesses
- Olhão142 businesses
- Albufeira136 businesses
- Faro108 businesses
- São Brás de Alportel104 businesses
- Silves82 businesses
- Castro Marim17 businesses
- V. R. Santo António13 businesses
- Alcoutim6 businesses
Distribution of value-chain businesses across Algarve municipalities in 2024. Source: Statistics Portugal.
Business dynamics
Business births, deaths and survival.
Birth, death and two-year survival rates, focusing on the production CAE.
Business dynamics
%Birth rate — production
17.9 % +13.8 pp; processing: 11.2%Death rate — production
20.1 % +9.3 pp; processing: 14.3%Two-year survival — production
18.3 % −0.4 pp; processing: 25.4%Statistics Portugal, 2019–2023. The highlighted value refers to production; the note states the processing result.
Entrepreneur profile
Who creates and develops activity in the value chain.
Sample of 11 valid responses to the Algarve Empreende 2026 survey; not statistically representative.
Profile indicators
%Algarve entrepreneurs
91 %Higher education or above
72 %60 years or over
36 %Family tradition in the activity
55 %Overall response rate: 1%. Source: Algarve Empreende 2026 survey.
Education level
%- Higher education45 %
- Postgraduate / master’s / doctorate27 %
- Basic education18 %
- Secondary education9 %
Distribution of respondent entrepreneurs. Source: survey.
Age
%- 30–39 years27 %
- 40–49 years27 %
- 50–59 years9 %
- 60 years or over36 %
Distribution of respondent entrepreneurs. Source: survey.
Reasons for starting the business
%- Personal interest / vocation39 %
- Family continuity33 %
- Market opportunity17 %
- Return to the land6 %
- Public support6 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Start-up challenges
%- Bureaucracy / licensing26 %
- Funding15 %
- Technical information15 %
- Certifications15 %
- Market access11 %
- Production costs11 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Fontes de financiamento no arranque
%- Fundos próprios58 %
- Crédito bancário21 %
- Apoios públicos / fundos UE16 %
- Fundos familiares5 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Growth and expectations
Value-chain outlook.
Algarve Empreende 2026 survey results on growth, expansion and business succession.
Growth and expectations
%Expect to grow over the next 3 years
73 %Business expanding
45 %With a succession plan
36 %Encerram mais do que criam
55 %Source: Algarve Empreende 2026 survey (n = 11).
Innovation, R&I and trends
Innovation and collaboration with the research system.
Innovation practices, R&I collaboration and trends identified by respondent entrepreneurs.
Innovation, R&I and collaboration
%Introduced innovation in the last 5 years
73 %Collaborated with the R&I system
88 %Very high interest in applied R&D
55 %Universidades: parceiro I&I
27 %Source: Algarve Empreende 2026 survey.
Identified trends
%- Environmental sustainability29 %
- Promotion of local products21 %
- New markets / exports14 %
- Certification / quality14 %
- Tourism linked to the value chain14 %
- Circular economy7 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Sources and resources