Carmen decided to set up as an ecological farmer in the Serra da Lousã in the 1980s. Co-founder of the Mercado do Botânico in Coimbra, she emphasises direct sales because she believes it is fairer for both producers and consumers. She notes that gender relations in rural areas have changed considerably, a symptom of the more general societal changes. In the farming family, she mentions the importance of cooperation in the division of agricultural labour.