Terra Pagesa

Centre logístic de Terra Pagesa. PATXI URIZ | DIPUTACIÓ DE BARCELONA

Logistics center of Terra Pagesa. PATXI URIZ | BARCELONA PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

distribution

Terra Pagesa ('Farm Land') facilitates and encourages the marketing and consumption of local and seasonal products from small and medium-sized farms in Catalonia in neighbourhood shops or municipal markets in Barcelona and the metropolitan area.

2021

Unió de Pagesos de Catalunya

Econòmic

hola@terrapagesa.cat

https://www.terrapagesa.cat/ca

Mercabarna

Justificación y origen

Short marketing circuits can be a tool to contribute to the viability of agricultural farms, support local trade, bet on food quality, guarantee the origin of products and contribute to environmental and territorial sustainability.

To be able to implement these marketing channels, the Union of Farmers of Catalonia detected that it was necessary to support the farmers concerned, especially in some aspects such as logistics and last mile distribution, as well as equipping the required infrastructures to launch projects in the field of short commercialization circuits.

In this sense, Terra Pagesa was born to facilitate the commercial and logistical structure so that producers can establish commercial relations directly with interested businesses in Barcelona and its surroundings, and that consumers have access to local, local, seasonal, fresh products with as little storage as possible.

Objectives

• Encourage Catalan producers to establish direct commercial relationships without intermediaries with businesses in Barcelona and the metropolitan area, and for consumers also to have access to local, local and seasonal products.

• Promote healthy and sustainable eating as part of a change in the food model for the city and region of Barcelona. The project seeks to contribute to the increase in the commercialization of higher quality and seasonal products, from the field, with minimal storage and post-harvest treatments through the alliance with neighborhood businesses, market stalls and communities.

• Commit to sustainability given that the project, based on local consumption, has benefits that have a social impact on territorial sustainability.

Inspiring ideas and key issues

• The project seeks to facilitate the sale through short marketing channels to the Catalonia peasantry with innovative virtual tools and commercial dynamism to support the viability of farms, and at the same time, small local businesses.

• The products are identified with a small poster and QR code with information about the product and the producer to inform the public in general who produces their food and its origin, guaranteeing the traceability of the products from the farm to the final consumer.

Presupuesto de puesta en marcha y origen de los recursos económicos

The project has been carried out with Unió de Pagesos' own resources and has received financial support from the City Council of Barcelona, the Barcelona Provincial Council, the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona

Periodo de ejecución

2019-present

Process followed for its start-up

The project was initially conceived as a Neighborhood Food Exchange Center (CIAP) and from this initial idea it evolved, starting in 2019, to include, after drawing up a feasibility plan, the commercial revitalization service and create an environment (marketplace) that facilitates buying and selling by providing a more comprehensive service.

From the year 2021, a pilot test was carried out and subsequently the start of operations on a regular basis. It currently markets, both conventionally and organically, fruit and vegetables, dried fruit and oil, honey, jams and preserves, drinks, rice and legumes. It is planned that meat, sausages and dairy products can also be sold.

Terra Pagesa does not act as an intermediary but as a facilitator of a direct commercial relationship between production and trade with the aim of guaranteeing a fair price for both the producer and the final consumer by providing the buying-selling platform, the infrastructure for group orders, storage, last-mile picking and distribution, the commercial dynamism service and the management of invoicing and product traceability.

In terms of operation, registered producers enter information about their operation and their products through the private and professional space on the web. From here, you can start receiving orders, which the producers themselves deliver to the logistics space located in Mercabarna. From Terra Pagesa, the orders are grouped together and distributed to the establishments and invoicing is carried out. The rates depend on the kg of the orders.

Recipient persons and/or entities

Farmers of Catalonia, both conventional and organic products. The project is also intended for local businesses and municipal market stalls in the second instance. The commercialization line for collectives, such as school canteens, is also being opened.

Agents involved

Terra Pagesa is an initiative of Unió de Pagesos (the Union of Farmers of Catalonia), which has had, from the beginning, the support and accompaniment of the City Council of Barcelona. The project has also received financial support from the Barcelona Provincial Council, the City Council of Barcelona, the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.

governance

The Terra Pagesa Foundation was created, a private and non-profit entity, to guarantee the achievement of the objectives of the Terra Pagesa project (and consequently the promotion of the commercialization of local agri-food products) and to manage its immobilized The Board of Trustees of the Terra Pagesa Foundation is made up of members and representatives of the Union of Farmers.

At the same time, the Foundation plans to develop the Terra Pagesa project in collaboration with a producer services cooperative, made up of them, which will be the manager of the project and its objective will be to support the cooperative members in the development of its economic activity in the areas of logistics, commercial activity, administrative management and promotion and marketing. Its performance will be regulated through a collaboration agreement with the Terra Pagesa Foundation.

On the other hand, the Foundation has established collaboration agreements with administrations, such as Barcelona's City Council.

Establishment of a virtual market (marketplace), which serves as a showcase for producers and products and a place to place orders.
Promotion of producers (search for new producers and contact with them) and commercial (search for merchants interested in acquiring local and seasonal products from affiliated producers).
Facilitation of logistics space and last-mile distribution in Barcelona and its surroundings through an external company and order management.
Management of invoicing, payments and collections.
Monitoring and traceability to ensure that all products channelled through Terra Pagesa come from local and seasonal agriculture. The project also offers traceability tools and materials aimed at the end consumer.
Communication of the project and its values and management of social networks.

obstacles

They are a new actor that operates in an already very consolidated market and therefore, the project needs time to establish complicities and win customers.
A cultural change is needed at the level of traders and consumers to adjust to the conditions of local and ecological products, such as temporality.

lessons

As the project has been implemented, more services have been offered to farmers more comprehensively. At the same time, commercial work has been deepened, to establish alliances and synergies with local trade, which is also experiencing difficulties due to its viability, thus also contributing to its sustainability.

Resources