PEXELS
PEXELS

BCN Smart Rural Press Digest – From 8th October to 8th November, 2021

The events celebrating the World Capital of Sustainable Food are one of the topics highlighted in the latest BCN Smart Rural press summary.

 

Highlighted

 

Barcelona dedicates this autumn to sustainable food

This year, Barcelona is the World Capital of Sustainable Food and, to celebrate, more than 150 activities have been held this autumn that call for the transformation of the food system to combat the climate emergency. Those in charge of the capital have invited producers, restaurateurs and experts from both Barcelona and the metropolitan area and the rest of the world to participate in a series of events that have been "the perfect opportunity to build a strategy with metropolitan dimension" according to the words of the mayor Ada Colau.

In addition, the production of a documentary that seeks answers to an imbalanced food system has been promoted. Under the title "Feeding the future", the audiovisual is available at this link.

 


 

More agri-food news

 

#Agrarian policy

 

Green the Common Agricultural Policy

A study published by the Institut Europe Jacques Delors relates the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to the 'From the field to the table' strategy and argues that the "green" transformation of the European Union's agri-food system will fail if it does not include all actors in the value chain, starting with the primary sector.

(Institute Europe Jacques Delors)

 

#Livestock Farming and ecology

 

Aram, the Association of Cattlemen and Farmers of Montseny, is born

The new entity wants to make visible the agricultural and livestock sector of the Biosphere Reserve, highlighting the benefits it brings.

(El 9 Nou)

 

70% of Montseny's livestock farmers are over 65 years old

A study carried out by Arran de Terra detects that the average age of livestock farmers located within the limits of the biosphere reserve is 61 years. The report also states that the number of holdings has gone from 27 to 24, a reduction that "can only be compensated for if the rate of new installations is increased significantly or if it is achieved that the ranchers who will fold surrender the exploitation to other ranchers who want to join it".

(El 9 Nou)

 

#Managed forests

 

The Barcelona Provincial Council begins work to recover pasture areas in Berguedà, Moianès and Osona

The action envisages the reintroduction of the livestock farming extending to 160 hectares in Priority Action Zones (ZAP) which are spread over fourteen estates in the territory.

(Barcelona Provincial Council)

 

#Climate action

 

They warn that the food system needs to be changed to deal with the climate crisis

The production and consumption of food causes 30% of emissions and to reduce this you need to consume less animal protein and more local and seasonal products.

(CCMA)

 

#Agrodiversity

 

The Valais vine: a crop in the process of disappearing

When we talk about vines in the Vallès, we are talking about more than two thousand years of history, and, in fact, in 1860 it represented 56% of the crops in county. Currently, there are less than thirty fields that are concentrated, mainly in the area of Martorelles and Sant Fost.

(Línia Xarxa)

 

#Sustainable food systems

 

Is eating a political act?

Five questions about food sustainability in Barcelona.

(El Crític)

 

The challenge of feeding 5 million people

An interesting article on the importance of local consumption in the metropolitan region of Barcelona.

(El Periódico)

 

'Voices for Food Sovereignty' is born

The aim of the new platform is to give a voice to the different entities that have been fighting for years for the city of Barcelona to carry out forceful food policies and move towards true food sovereignty.

(Sostenible)

 

Only 10% of schools in Barcelona offer local menus

There are approximately forty schools and institutes, of all types: public, chartered and private.

(Benvinguts a Rural)

 

The Food Strategy Working Group is set up in Sant Boi

About twenty entities, economic agents, research centers and institutions in the municipality have signed the document of adhesion to this new body that promotes a vision of the food system as a collective right.

(El Far)

 

#Agro-food products of the territory

 

The La Frasera cheese shop wins the 3rd prize in the Championship of the Best Cheeses in Spain

This Montserrat Rural Park company has won the award thanks to the quality of its Rodó de Cendra cheese. More than 800 varieties have been submitted to the competition.

(Montserrat Rural Park)

 

#Tradelocal and nearby

 

The Odena Basin Agrarian Park creates a partnership to grow local product consumption

The Association of Catering and Trade in the Ódena Basin has the objective of joining efforts and moving towards the consumption of local products that have a positive impact on the nearest territory, also providing quality, healthy and sustainable food.

(Infoanoia)

 

Barcelona's province municipal markets say goodbye to single-use plastics

The initiative is launched as a pilot test in three municipal markets in the territory and is promoted by Barcelona Provincial Council.

(Barcelona Provincial Council)

 

#Waste and food waste

 

The Circular Market distributes more than 8,000 kilos of food to social entities

This initiative aims to encourage the use of fruits and vegetables from the Mercavallès market that are edible but not marketable in order to provide fresh, quality food to people who need food support in the territory.

(Sostenible)

 

#Agrifood marketing

 

The Xarxa Productes de la Terra and the Park at Table participate in the Barcelona Gastronomic Forum and the Àpat Fair

The events have been a success in terms of public attendance and have made it possible to publicize the companies that participate in these two programs promoted by Barcelona Provincial Council.

(L'Informatiu dels Parcs)

 

The County Council of the Baix Llobregat and the Barcelona Provincial Council promote proximity and social value in Christmas products

The creation of a Christmas batch with local foods represents a good commercial opportunity for the agri-food sector of county and helps to energize the companies that are part of Land Products Network.

(Lower Llobregat County Council)

 

The popular vote is open to choose the 'Excellent food' that will represent Osona for three years

To participate, just go to www.fetaosona.cat/votacions and choose one of the two finalist products for each of the categories. Voting will be open until Sunday, November 26.

(Osona'County Council)

 

The Agricultural Park of the Conca d'Ódena successfully celebrates the producers' show

Seventeen producers stopped in Santa Margarida de Montbui, in a day that also had workshops, talks and music.

(Regió 7)

 

The 4th edition of the Castellfollit del Boix Bean Fair is celebrated

The event, which filled the streets of the municipality of Bagen, included a market of agri-food, artisanal and local products, among which the famous Castellfollit del Boix bean stood out. This unique and indigenous food is one of the 55 unique products included in the Land Products Network that powers Barcelona Provincial Council.

(Montserrat Rural Park)

 

#Innovation

 

A sustainable vertical agriculture company from Barberà del Vallès wins one of the 2021 Agro-Food Technological Innovation Awards

The award has also recognized the project of a young entrepreneurial family who, in addition to a mobile cheese factory, manage an herd of goats that does forest fire prevention work in Vallès Occidental.

(Government of Catalonia)

 

Entrepreneurs from Montserratí discover Tecnoalimentaria

The project has the participation of Sant Andreu, Olesa, Esparreguera, Abrera, Collbató and Sant Esteve and is part of the Work, Talent and Technology program promoted by Barcelona Provincial Council.

(Línia Xarxa)

 

#Interviews

 

Neus Monllor: "I am optimistic about the change in production model, but we still have a lot of pressure"

The coordinator of the Agricultural Test Spaces Network is one of the prestigious voices in the agro-social field of the territory.

(Arrels)

 

Maria Costa: "I left a good job to start a rural project from scratch"

The manager of l'Escairador talks about the challenges of growing traditional cereals, working them in the mill and marketing them with your own brand.

(Regió 7)

 

Marta Palomas: "If there is no one to preserve the seeds, the traditional cultivated varieties will be lost and, in fact, many have already been lost"

The president and head of the Eixarcolant seed bank believes that forgotten plants are fundamental to the creation of a new agri-food model based on the quality, sustainability and proximity of the products we eat.

(Ruralcat)

 

Mariona Morral: "Women have been the straw in rural areas and have always been invisible"

This young farmer talks about her day-to-day life as a winegrower, a job she is passionate about.

(Montserrat Rural Park)

 

Mònica Guilera: "The mushroom basket has contributed to maintaining the activity of many basket makers"

Twenty years ago, this brave woman left her job as an executive secretary to pursue a profession she was completely unfamiliar with.

(Arrels)

 

Ton Lloret: "Just for a single case of repopulation, I consider my time well spent"

The manager of the Twitter account @Repoblem publishes a book about the great challenges of the rural environment through personal stories.

(Arrels)

 

Elisenda Guillaumes: "The application of slurry as such has its days numbered"

The general director of Agriculture and Livestock Farming of the DARP reveals in this interview some of the challenges of farming, the rural area and also organic production.

(Agrocultura)

 

#Opinion

 

Food and climate crisis, from Barcelona to Glasgow

The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, argues in this article that the climate emergency is the greatest challenge humanity has faced and requires a radical reformulation of the way we produce, consume, move and, above all , food: a change of model towards food systems without emissions is urgent.

(El País)

 

Let Catalonia burn, let the world burn

The farmer Pol Dunyó-Ruhí asks in this article whether it is possible to recover the agricultural mosaic and the cleaning of the forests with the current economic model.

(La Conca 5.1)

 

Who eats the leftovers?

Toni Massanés, director of the Alicia Foundation, reminds us in this article of the sacred value of food.

(La Vanguardia)

 

— BCN Smart Rural Editorial —

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