The Food
Industry in
Barcelona
Edition
Barcelona City Council
Economy, Business and Employment Area
Llacuna 162
08018 Barcelona
www.bcn.cat/barcelonabusiness
With the help of
Mercabarna
Alimentaria Exhibitions S.A.
Institut de Mercats Municipals
Fundació Dieta Mediterrània
Consorci de la Zona Franca
Design and layout: g.gra?c
D.L. (Copyright): B-11045-2012
Barcelona, January 2012
01. Barcelona, the Mediterranean’s innovation hub 05
02. 10 reasons to invest in Barcelona 06
03. The Foodstuff Industry, a strategic sector for Barcelona
and Catalonia 08
04. 10 reasons to invest in the Foodstuff Industry
in Barcelona and Catalonia
01. An important Foodstuff Industry 10
02. Benchmark European cluster 12
03. Privileged geostrategic position 13
04. Presence of leading companies 14
05. Leadership in fresh produce 16
06. Barcelona Food Platform 18
07. Strategic commitment to Research and Development 19
08. Alimentaria, the second most important international food fair 20
09. Barcelona’s Municipal Markets, the largest network of food
markets in Europe 22
10. Barcelona and the Mediterranean Diet 24
05. Links 26
Table of contents
05
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Barcelona, located in north-eastern
Spain and on the shores of the
Mediterranean, is one of the principal
European cities and the centre of a
vast metropolitan region of more than
160 towns, and with a population of
more than 5 million people. It is the
economic, cultural and administrative
capital of Catalonia and the centre of
an emerging area of economic activity
in Southern Europe, with 17 million
people and 800,000 businesses. The
Euro-Mediterranean region, including
the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Ara-
gon and the south-east of France, is
positioning itself in new strategic and
internationally-competitive sectors,
consolidating itself internationally as a
major European metropolis.
With a long industrial tradition and
a dense business fabric, Barcelona
has a highly diversi?ed economic
structure. Its more traditional sec-
tors coexist with new emerging ones,
creating new clusters of knowledge that
prioritise specialisation and competiti-
veness, focusing on internationalisation
and creating a dynamic and innovative
city economy. This has helped to drive
Barcelona’s strategic leadership in the-
se ?elds. In 2010, Catalonia was home
to more than 3,400 international ?rms
in several sectors and received 36%
of all annual foreign investment in
Spain, 90% of this concentrated in the
Barcelona area.
Taking into account the distribution
of gross value added across business
activities, Catalonia is Spain’s top auto-
nomous region in the industrial sector,
accounting for 25.2% of the total mar-
ket. In terms of services, it is positioned
second regarding national gross value
added generated. Catalonia accounts
for 28.2% of all Spain’s companies in
industries with high and medium high-
tech and knowledge-based services.
Additionally, Barcelona’s entrepreneu-
rial activity rate in 2010 was 5.5%,
above both the Spanish and European
averages according to the Global En-
trepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2010.
Barcelona’s international economic
activities are mainly driven by the
Trade Fair, the Port, Airport, the Zona
Franca Consortium, Barcelona’s
Tourism Consortium, Barcelona City
Council and its new technological
innovation districts. As such, and given
the importance of innovation in foste-
ring competitiveness, productivity and
the internationalisation of companies,
the Food Industry is one of the key
sectors for Barcelona and Catalonia.
Barcelona and Catalonia have posi-
tioned themselves as leaders in the
food industry, and now bring together
the largest number of top foodstuff
companies and the largest production
volume in Spain. This area is also
especially signi?cant because of its
many facilities, universities and tech-
nology centres that support research
and innovation activities in this area,
as well as hosting the second largest
foodstuff fair in the world.
Barcelona and Catalonia boast a rich
food and cuisine culture, internationa-
lly recognised in terms of its eateries,
with the Mediterranean Diet as a key
driver.
Barcelona,
the Mediterranean’s
innovation hub
01
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN REGION
CATALONIA
BARCELONA
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02
10 reasons
to invest in
Barcelona
Barcelona offers a
number of different
elements that make it
an attractive place to
live, work and do bu-
siness. Today the city
is a highly interesting
location for new eco-
nomic activities. Some
good reasons to invest
here are as follows
06. Human resources prepared for the future
Barcelona now has one of the leading labour markets in Europe in terms of critical
mass in high value-added sectors; highly productive, one of the best in Europe
according to the OECD; 8 public and private universities; a number of prestigious
business schools including ESADE, IESE and EADA; 34 international schools; wide-
spread use of new technology and a natural tendency for innovation and creativity.
07. Excellent quality of life
For the 14th year running, Barcelona boasts Europe’s best quality of life for
employees*. It has a mild climate, sun, beaches, culture, splendid leisure time
and arts programmes, a network of 4,500 educational institutions, modern and
accessible health system. It is easy to get around on the public transport system
and boasts beautiful parks that surround the city.
08.
Large-scale urban-planning projects for
the future
Transformation of 1,000 ha and 7 million m
2
of ?oor space in the metropolitan area
of Barcelona.
Llobregat Area: commitment to logistics, aerospace and mobility, with expansion
of the port and airport.
Besòs Area: urban renewal, universities and research and innovation centers;
Porta Europa-La Sagrera: arrival of the high-speed train; 22@Barcelona: the new
technology and innovation district, and the Diagonal-Besòs Campus for activities
related to energy, water and sustainable mobility.
Vallès Area: strategic concentration of technology, nanotechnology and research
facilities; the Alba Synchrotron, the Vallès Technology Park and the UAB Re-
search Park.
09. Competitive real estate market
Wide range of of?ces, retail spaces and industrial warehouses with excellent
price/quality balance and a high occupation rate.
10. Unique public/private cooperation
Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Government are highly committed to
companies; the success of traditional public/private collaboration has been key to
Barcelona’s transformation.
01. Strategic geographic location
Two hours by road from France and one day from the main European
cities. The gateway to Southern Europe and capital of the Union for the
Mediterranean, Barcelona’s port, airport, logistics parks, international
trade fairs and city center are found within a ?ve-kilometer radius.
02. Comprehensive transport infrastructure
A network of motorways connected to Europe; the fastest growing airport
in Europe; the top Spanish port and largest container port in the Medite-
rranean; wide reaching underground, train and bus networks; high-speed
train connections to the European rail network as of 2013.
03. Center of a large, dynamic and diverse
economic area
The Barcelona area has nearly 5 million inhabitants. It is the capital of Ca-
talonia, with 7.5 million inhabitants, and the center of the Mediterranean
Basin, an economic area with 18 million inhabitants. It accounts for 70%
of Catalonia’s GDP, and is the sixth largest urban area in Europe and has
the ?fth highest concentration in Europe in terms of industry. Catalonia
has nearly 7,000 businesses working in innovation related activities, most
of which are located in Barcelona and its surrounding area.
04. Successful foreign investment
Barcelona is ranked the sixfth best city in Europe for business*, and Ca-
talonia accounts for approximately 36% of all foreign investment in Spain
and is home to more than 3,400 foreign companies, 90% of whom are
located in the Barcelona area.
05. Internationally renowned positioning
Barcelona tops a number of international rankings, which rate its urban
environment, ability to attract foreign capital, entrepreneurial spirit and
quality of life very highly.
*According to Cushman & Wake?eld, European Cities Monitor 2011.
It’s also worth noting the importance
of consumption and particularily gas-
tronomy, with Barcelona, Catalonia
and Spain having become internatio-
nal benchmarks. The Mediterranean
Diet has been a signi?cant driver in
this process, having now become
a steering force and benchmark
across a wide range of eateries
present in the area. But, so too is the
rich culinary tradition and consolida-
ted prestige of Catalan chefs, which
has made Barcelona one of the
great capitals for quality and creative
gastronomy.
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09
The Foodstuff
Industry in
Barcelona
and Catalonia
03
The Catalan foodstuff
industry leads the Spanish
market, and Barcelona
plays a crucial role in this
positioning, accounting for
a large volume of the total
production and most of the
research, innovation and fo-
reign investment generated
in the sector. Catalonia is
Spain’s top autonomous re-
gion in terms of its foodstuff
sector, representing 23% of
total net sales, and a simi-
lar percentage of operating
incomes.
As well, Catalonia boasts a rich food
and gastronomy culture, especially
thanks to consumption habits based
on the Mediterranean Diet, quality
shopping opportunities and interna-
tionally renowned restaurants.
In recent years, Catalonia and the
metropolitan area of Barcelona
have positioned themselves as a
benchmark region regarding the
food and beverage industry and
the agro-foods business. The food
industry plays an essential role
in the Spanish economic system,
and is one of the most important
industrial sectors.
To put the importance of the food
sector in the Catalan economy in
context, the foodstuff, beverages
and tobacco industry is the principal
business sector in terms of turnover
with 17.9% of the total; there are
nearly 3,600 companies, many of
them in the Barcelona metropolitan
area. Between them they generate
78,500 direct jobs, and in 2008
they accounted for 20.5% of all
employment in the Spanish food-
stuff industry.
Additionally, Barcelona’s weight and
prowess in the foodstuff world is
re?ected by its distribution facili-
ties, with, for example, Mercabarna
supplying produce and products to
a catchment area of more than 10
million people, stretching from the
north east of Spain to the north of
Italy. Barcelona is the host city for
the Alimentaria trade fair show, the
second largest in Europe, and ?nally
it has a large number of universities
and research centers working in the
?elds of nutrition and food safety.
This document aims to set out the underlying features of the
current and future agro-foodstuff sector in Catalonia and
Barcelona under 10 strategic reasons:
01 An important Foodstuff Industry
02 European benchmark cluster
03 Privileged geostrategic position
04 Presence of leading companies
05 Leadership in fresh produce
06 Barcelona Food Platform
07 Strategic commitment to research and development
08 Alimentaria, the second most important international
food fair
09 Barcelona’s Municipal Markets, the largest network of
food markets in Europe
10 Barcelona and the Mediterranean Diet
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Catalonia has a long
tradition in the food sector,
re?ected by the importance
of this sector’s economic
activity in the overall
industrial makeup, and
which has become one of
the main drivers of the
Catalan economy.
The weight of the food industry
regarding overall net sales made by
Catalonia’s industry is 17.8%. This is
almost the same ?gure as the che-
mical or pharmaceutical sectors, with
a turnover of 20.055 billion Euro in
2008, the same year that Catalonia
registered the highest employment
in this sector in Spain, with 78,500
workers or 20.5% of all Spain’s
agricultural sector.
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry in
Barcelona and
Catalonia
04
01.
AN IMPORTANT
FOODSTUFF
INDUSTRY
5.70%
1.40%
4.80%
4.20%
7.40%
12.50%
10.20%
6.50%
2.40%
30.40%
0.60%
2.70%
7.30%
Distribution of product sales in
the food industry in Catalonia.
Year 2008 (%)
Meat industry
Fish transformation
Fruit and vegetables
conserves
Fats and oils
Dairy industry
Grain and mill
products
Animal feed
products
Bread, pastries,
pasta
Sugar, chocolate,
confectionery
Other diverse
product
Wines
Other alcoholic
drinks
Waters and
non-alcoholic drinks
Distribution of jobs across the food
industry in Catalonia.
Year 2008 (%)
3.40%
1.70%
5.90%
4.30%
19.60%
4.10%
10.50%
4.50%
2.00%
36.20%
1.30%
3.00%
1.80%
Barcelona’s metropolitan area
constitutes a ?rst class foodstuff
cluster offering those companies
that locate here a wide range of
opportunities to identify and adapt
to industry trends.
Laboratory of ideas and
identi?cation of new trends
Barcelona has become a key loca-
tion to discover new purchasing and
consumption habits, and identify new
emerging trends in the food sector.
Additionally, with important trade
fairs and cultural activities related
to the foodstuff industry taking place
here, like the Alimentaria trade fair,
Barcelona has turned itself into a
centre for the generation and detec-
tion of new opportunities in
the sector, and a laboratory of
continuous ideas.
As such, Barcelona allows com-
panies to identify opportunities,
develop and test their innovations
all in the same setting, especially
regarding:
- New consumer habits and the
identi?cation of new consumer
segments
- New shopping patterns
- The launch and analysis of new
products, such as organic, functional
foods
- Adaptation to new marketing chan-
nels such as the hotel and catering
channel.
Key setting for the
development of innovation
and research
Catalonia has a wide network
of institutions and organizations
pioneering R&D to help companies
develop new products and services
(IRTA, research groups based out of
public universities, etc...). These allow
for and provide a ?rst rate space to
share knowledge about innovation.
- Product innovation, especially in
the development of the 4
th
and 5
th
ranges
- Innovation in production processes,
especially in processing techniques,
and the elaboration and conservation
of products
- Adapting to distribution logistics
trends and related technologies
such as smart packaging
- Technology innovation
- The inclusion of innovation in
environmental issues and waste
management.
In the Barcelona metropolitan area
there are also signi?cant clusters
that can provide synergies and com-
plement the Foodstuff Industry, such
as the ICT or biotech sector.
We should also highlight Barcelona’s
strategic location and its proximity to
major logistics facilities, which gives
it a signi?cant international slant.
Thus, Catalonia, and especially the
metropolitan area of Barcelona have
become an important catalyst and
generator of business opportunities
and the development of R&D in the
foodstuff sector.
Meat industry
Fish transformation
Fruit and vegetables
conserves
Fats and oils
Dairy industry
Grain and mill
products
Animal feed
products
Bread, pastries,
pasta
Sugar, chocolate,
confectionery
Other diverse
product
Wines
Other alcoholic
drinks
Waters and
non-alcoholic drinks
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AIRPORT
PORT
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
BARCELONA
Road network
Renfe railway network
FGC railway network
Freight network
ZAL
ZF Logistics Park
Barcelona Airport
freight Centre
Port of Barcelona
Zona Franca Customs
Barcelona Airport
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12 13
Barcelona enjoys a privile-
ged geographical location
given that the highly con-
centrated nature of its size
- just 5 km in radius - and
where a variety of transport
modes coincide (sea, air,
rail and road), combined
with the facilities and land
required for the develop-
ment of quality large logis-
tics facilities.
Especially important is the Llobre-
gat Delta platform, whose facilities
have made it a top foodstuff cluster.
These assets are characterized by
the following infrastructure:
- The Zona Franca industrial
zone, which is the largest and
most active industrial area in
Spain. It has a gross area of
600 hectares with more than
200 companies set up there and
with an economic activity genera-
ting 20 billion euros (2006).
- Mercabarna, the leading food-
stuff cluster in the southwest of
Europe.
- Barcelona Airport.
- The Port of Barcelona and
ZAL, which has more than 830 ha
dedicated to the foodstuff sector,
with 6 speci?c terminals. Freight
traf?c (imports/exports) is around
7.4 million tonnes a year.
Finally, Catalonia has large food-
stuff warehousing facilities,
currently around 1.5 million m
2
, of
which some 60% is located in the
province of Barcelona and which
includes a wide range of cooled
logistics facilities.
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
The regional food sector in
the Barcelona area has be-
come a benchmark at the
European and international
level, having become:
- A first-rate foodstuff
cluster
- A centre of attraction for
international companies
The foodstuff cluster in Catalonia
holds a leading position in Europe,
according to data from the Euro-
pean Cluster Observatory presen-
ted by the Stockholm School of
Economics, which analysed more
than 250 European regions.
Catalonia has become, along with
the Italian region of Lombardy,
one of the major foodstuff clusters
in Europe in terms of number of
jobs generated and size, compa-
red to the 150 foodstuff clusters
considered.
Regarding Spain, the food cluster
in the Barcelona area is the leader
because it generates more jobs
and occupies more space than any
other cluster except the construc-
tion industry.
High attraction value for
foreign investment
As well, the greater Barcelona area
has become a magnet for foreign in-
vestment, especially in industry and
advanced services. Catalonia has
become the top destination of fo-
reign companies. In 2010, Catalonia
was home to more than 3,400 in-
ternational ?rms and received 36%
of all annual foreign investment in
Spain, 90% of this concentrated in
the Barcelona area. It is worth no-
ting that nearly 97% of these show
high levels of satisfaction with their
location decision.
In the context of foodstuff, the dyna-
mic nature and overall attractiveness
of this region is re?ected by the
fact that 11% of foreign investment
in Catalonia is in this sector, just
behind the automotive sector, which
boasts 13% of all investment.
02.
EUROPEAN
BENCHMARK
CLUSTER
03.
PRIVILEGED
GEOSTRATEGIC
POSITION
Foodstuff Clusters
(Europe’s top 10 ranking)
1. Lombardy (Milan), IT
2. Catalonia (Barcelona), ES
3. Denmark, DK
4. Brittany (Rennes), FR
5. Vlaams Gewest, BE
6. Emilia-Romagna (Bologna), IT
7. Veneto (Venice), IT
8. Pays de la Loire (Nantes), FR
9. Mazowieckie (Warsaw), PL
10. Andalusia (Seville), ES
DENMARK
BELGIUM
FRANCE
SPAIN
ITALY
POLAND
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In 2009 the Foodstuff Cluster
Association was set up with
Mercabarna, 22@Barcelona, The
Consortium of the Zona Franca Bar-
celona, the Car Dealership Associa-
tion of Mercabarna (Assocome) as
founding members.
The Association’s aim is to help
improve the competitiveness of
its companies and ensure their
growth, promoting companies’ stra-
tegic innovation in order to adapt
to changes in the sector. As such,
within the association they are de-
veloping projects in areas of Food
Service, wholesale and retail.
Six outstanding foodstuff clusters (Catalonia)
- Meat Industries: This cluster is made up of over 200 companies
with 8,300 employees.
- Aquaculture: Fifty companies compose this sector’s value chain
with a turnover of 400 million Euros.
- Wines and cavas: This cluster brings together more than
200 companies employing 2,500 workers and a turnover of
575 million euros.
- Foodstuff packaging and machinery: There are 300 compa-
nies in this sector with a total turnover of around 2.6 billion Euros,
making it the second largest in Europe, together with the Øresund
region (Denmark and Sweden).
- Foodservice: With 150 companies dedicated exclusively to this
sector and over 300 others with signi?cant business activity dedica-
ted to this area, the estimated turnover of companies in this industry
is more than 4.3 billion euros.
- Catalonia Gourmet: made up by 21 companies, this cluster’s
main objective is to promote and contribute to the competiveness of
the Catalan gourmet food stuff sector.
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Catalonia is a benchmark
in the industrial foodstuff
sector, both because of the
presence of outstanding
and sector-leading inter-
national companies -es-
pecially in the Barcelona
area-, and because of the
presence of six benchmark
clusters. In parallel, com-
plementary industries, like
those related to containers
and packaging, logistics,
cold storage, etc… have
been developed.
The quantity of foodstuff compa-
nies in Catalonia is very high and
brings together nearly 3,000 firms.
Nationally, Catalonia heads the
ranking with respect to large com-
panies, with almost 700. Most of
this employment-generating indus-
try is in the province of Barcelona,
which has become a strategic area
for any major food company.
For example, in Catalonia and espe-
cially in the Barcelona metropolitan
area can be found leading foodstuff
companies with a signi?cant presen-
ce of leading international compa-
nies in their respective sectors.
Some of the most noteworthy include
Nestlé, Danone, Agroalimen, Panrico,
Borges, Bimbo, Coca-Cola, Damm,
Freixenet, Codorniu, Cargill Spain,
Corporación Alimentaria de Guissona
or Bacardi, to name but a few.
At the same time, this major
concentration of businesses has
generated high levels of specia-
lization and professional qualifi-
cations, and provides top quality
human capital and knowledge.
The main association of manufactu-
rers and distributors (AECOC), with
nearly 24,000 members, has its
headquarters in Barcelona. AECOC,
which was founded to promote the
use of bar codes, has evolved to
provide the distribution industry with
the sort of collaboration network
needed to reach consumers as
ef?ciently as possible, whilst also
identifying opportunities for impro-
vements along the entire production
chain. AECOC is also a member and
representative of the GS1 organiza-
tion in Spain, whose objective is to
de?ne standards and best practices
in supply chain management.
04.
PRESENCE
OF LEADING
COMPANIES
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
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16 17
Mercabarna is a ?rst rate
Food Unit, having beco-
me one of the major fresh
produce foodstuff clusters
in the southwest of Europe,
offering marketing activities,
the development of added
value for foodstuff, logistics,
distribution, import and ex-
port, and the incorporation
of technology facilities and
services, waste manage-
ment and environmentally
friendly policies.
Mercabarna (Mercados de
Abastecimientos de Barcelona,
SA) manages the Food Unit, which
brings together the city’s wholesale
markets (Central Market of Fruits
and Vegetables, Central Fish Mar-
ket and Slaughterhouse), as well
as the many ?rms making, selling,
distributing, importing and expor-
ting fresh and frozen products,
providing value added products
and customer service, and which
are located in the Complementary
Activities Zone (ZAC).
Mercabarna also has a plot of
4.5 hectares next to Barcelona
Airport, where it has built Merca-
barna Flower, a new business
centre that specializes in wholesale
?owers, plants and accessories.
- Location: Barcelona’s Zona
Franca
- Area: 90 hectares
- Number of companies: 700
- People who access the zone
every day: 25,000
- Number of employees: 8,000
- Annual Turnover: 3 billion euros
Mercabarna products are sent to
Spain and reach many countries
around the world, but its immedia-
te sphere of in?uence covers the
whole of Catalonia, north Valencia,
the strip along south Aragon, the
Balearic Islands, Andorra, the south
of France and northern Italy. In total,
Mercabarna supplies fresh produce
to around 10 million consumers.
Mercabarna is strategically located
at the heart of the main logistics
area of the country, where we ?nd
the principal transport infrastructure
(ports, airports, terminal Tir, Nus del
Llobregat, freight train station, etc.).
This is just 10 km from the centre
of Barcelona. The quality of fresh
products decreases signi?cantly
over time, so logistics advantages
and good transport are essential,
especially since transport origins
and destinations are increasingly
remote.
The promotion and development
of the Complementary Activities
Zone (ZAC) around the wholesale
markets has been crucial for the
evolution of Mercabarna and this
is what differentiates this impor-
tant foodstuff park from other
markets in the world. In this area
value-added activities have been
promoted to product and customer
services to meet the current needs
of commerce and consumers.
ZAC activities include: companies
involved with the preparation of
fresh produce (cleaning, handling,
packaging, etc.), seafood nurseries;
banana maturers; potato dea-
lers (importing, cleaning, sorting,
packing); importers and exporters
from all over the world, modern
fruit chain processors, companies
supplying the restaurant trade; large
distribution companies’ purchasing
platforms, cooking units for catering
companies, large refrigerators for
public use, etc..
As such, value added activities are
becoming more and more impor-
tant (preparation and packaging of
products). This was something that
started in the meat companies, but
that has now spread to fruit and ve-
getables dealers and, more recently,
?shmongers.
This diversi?cation of activities
–mainly driven by large retailers-,
is also very good for the hotel and
restaurant sector.
In addition, some of these compa-
nies have also committed to develo-
ping products for what is known as
the ?fth range (pre-cooked meals),
directed mainly at hospitality and
catering channels. This is still very
much a new business area and
therefore it’s dif?cult to assess the
results to date.
Mercabarna also forms part of the
Mercasa markets network, a set of
23 wholesale markets across Spain
whose total surface area covers
more than 7 million m
2
with more
than 3,500 wholesalers.
05.
LEADERSHIP
IN FRESH
PRODUCE
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
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Catalonia, and in particular
the metropolitan area, has
highly-signi?cant facilities,
platforms and universities
engaged in research, deve-
lopment and innovation in
the food sector, and this has
helped it to get the most
of the sectors’ extensive
industry knowledge to pro-
vide service companies with
the sort of R&D&i needed
to increase products’ added
value, incorporating new
technologies and innovation.
Catalonia, and the Barcelona area
in particular, offer a wide range of
research centres and investigation
groups linked to the foodstuff world
that has helped to create a body of
businesses with a vocation for in-
novation, and that provide research
and development services that
companies need.
07.
A STRATEGIC
COMMITMENT TO
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
19
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
Leading research centres:
- Analysis of Innovative Techno-
logy for Competitive Industrial
Processes (ATIPIC)
- Research Centre for Agricultu-
ral Economics and Development
(CREDA)
- Centre for Research in Toxicolo-
gy (CERETOX)
- Nutrition and Health Technolo-
gy Centre (CTNS)
- Centre for biotechnological and
agrifood developments (DBA)
- Research Centre for Animal
Health (CReSA)
- Spanish National Research
Council (CSIC)
- Catalan Institute of Vines and
Wine (INCAVI)
- Institute for Research and Tech-
nology (CSIC-IRTA consortium)
- Bakery Sector’s Center for Te-
chnology Promotion (INNOPAN)
- Centre for Nutrition and Aging
(NUTREN-nutrigenomics)
- Triptolemos Foundation
- Food and Science Foundation
(ALICIA)
- Combinatorial Chemistry Unit
(UQC)
The main universities in
the country boast research
groups related to the agro-
food sector, which carry
out fundamental, basic, and
applied research
- Autonomous University of
Barcelona
- University of Barcelona
- University of Girona
- University of Lleida
- Polytechnic University of
Catalonia
- University of Rovira i Virgili
Since 1916, the Zona Franca
Consortium (CZF) has been
managing what is one of
Spain’s main industrial zones
and Catalonia’s principal
industrial park -incidentally
going by the same name as
the consortium itself. In this
area, CZF has a 44-hectare
zone classi?ed as urban
22AL, which means it is
being given over to activities
related to the food industry.
Recently, CZF has recove-
red an area of 50 hectares
(the former SEAT factory) to
promote as a new business
venture zone project called
Enterprise Platform BZi and
17 hectares of this land will
be made over to the new
food axis alone.
This new area is being used by Mer-
cabarna and CZF to develop the so-
called Barcelona Food Platform, an
idea aimed at getting technology and
knowledge-led food companies to set
up in this part of the industrial zone
(a 160 hectares area that includes
spaces developed by Mercabarna, BZi
and 22AL) which aims to characteri-
se the technological changes that the
food sector needs to make.
As such, both Mercabarna and CZF
share the same policy measures
regarding driving the food sector
to reach new objectives in terms of
their approaches to strategy, tactics
and operations. This frame, which is
a joint and coordinated Mercabarna-
CZF strategy, has to aim at providing
a better service and to clarifying
the forecasts of future growth and
the consolidation of the whole food
industry and those companies that
operate in it. Additionally, it has to
raise the national and international
impact of the Barcelona Zona Franca
food centre in order to make it a
benchmark -without it prejudicing
the legitimate interests and objecti-
ves of the respective entities-, in or-
der to achieve the following speci?c
objectives:
1. The growth and consolidation of
food-related activities in the Zona
Franca area, making this a central
foodstuff business area that has a
national and international benchmark
projection and which boasts signi?-
cant components of innovation and
value-added.
2. The complementary nature of mea-
sures taken by Mercabarna and CZF,
that avoid duplication and competi-
tion, and that facilitate the creation of
synergies and the sorts of economies
of scale that come from the combined
actions of these stakeholders.
3. The encouragement and promotion
of innovative measures, processes
and the distribution of fresh produce
to the entire foodstuff area affected.
4. The promotion of best-practices
services to companies in the food-
stuff area by both organizations.
5. The promotion of technical, busi-
ness and ?nancial assistance by both
entities to foodstuffs-related business
operators –and also between the en-
tities themselves-, to achieve common
goals that best meet the needs of the
industry and businesses.
06.
BARCELONA
FOOD PLATFORM
BZi Barcelona Innovation Zone
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Alimentaria is Spain’s most
important international food
and beverage trade fair
and one of top events in
the world. The fair, which is
been held for 18 by-annual
events, is a true meeting
point for international food
manufacturing and distri-
bution, and some of the
industry’s principal innova-
tions have been presented
here.
With an increase of 60% in the
number of participating countries
over the last 12 years, some 4,000
leading companies in the manufac-
ture and distribution of food and
beverages from over 75 countries
come together for this event every
two years for what is an international
benchmark event year after year. The
number of visitors during the last edi-
tion was 140,000, with 25% of these
coming from 155 foreign countries.
The event has become an interna-
tional business centre and a bridge
between Europe, Africa and Latin
America, a fact that is now one of the
core values of international fairs held
in Barcelona.
From this leading and privileged
position, and backed up by its past
results and guided by the core values
of innovation, professionalism, inter-
nationalization and parallel dynamic
activities to the main exhibition,
Alimentaria enjoys undisputed
recognition and credibility. So much
so that its trade show model has
been exported to other cities such
as Lisbon (Alimentaria & Horexpo-
Lisbon) and Mexico D.F. (Alimentaria
Mexico), and very soon it will take
place in other cities, too.
The fair generated a turnover for
participating companies of more than
1.8 billion euros, with the city itself
bene?ting from fair-related supple-
mentary incomes worth 168 million.
The impact of the fair is not only
quantitative, but also very qualita-
tive, re?ected by the many parallel
activities held, too. All of these are
linked to research, development and
foodstuff innovation, knowledge
creation, nutrition, health, welfare,
sustainability, the Mediterranean
Diet, new ways to communicate,
retail, and avant-garde cuisine.
08.
ALIMENTARIA,
THE SECOND
MOST IMPORTANT
INTERNATIONAL
FOOD FAIR
21
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
A fair with cross-sector represen-
tation from all other industries:
CONGELEXPO
Frozen products
EXPOBEBIDAS
Soft drinks, mineral waters, beers,
ciders and grape juices
EXPOCONSER
Conserves and semi conserves
INTERCARN
Meat products and derivatives
INTERLACT
Milk & dairy products and derivatives
OLIVARIA
Olive oil and vegetable oils
INTERPESCA
Seafood and ?sh farming
INTERVIN
Wines and spirits
Total Surface Area
Workshops and Activities
Number of Companies
Professional Visitors
International Professional Visitors
2004
105,815m
2
6,000m
2
4,087
142,513
31,000
2006
115,000m
2
7,000m
2
4,148
152,344
32,892
2008
108,714m
2
9,000m
2
4,806
157,632
33,418
2010
85,122m
2
9,500m
2
3,936
140,542
35,874
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The foodstuff industry is
strengthened by a food
culture based on quality and
health, and this has had the
knock on effect of creating a
wide range of stalls in muni-
cipal markets, and especially
those in the Barcelona area.
Barcelona’s markets have
a thousand years of history
behind them and they are a
signi?cant part of the city’s
economy, where one can
?nd a wide range of food
and mainly fresh produce.
The network of markets in Barcelona
is the largest network of food markets
in Europe, with 43 markets -39 of
these food markets and 4 non-food
markets- scattered across the city’s
different neighbourhoods. In these
markets you’ll ?nd 2,895 stalls, with
1,984 of these food-related, and in
18 of the markets we can ?nd some
sort of supermarket (self service)
operator. Markets in Barcelona are
grouped under the network of markets
overseen by the Institute of Muni-
cipal Markets of Barcelona, the
largest network in Europe. Figurewise,
the city’s markets boast 108,000 m
2
of commercial surface area, 208,500
m
2
of constructed area, and about
8,000 direct jobs. Estimates show
that every year the city markets get
60 million visitors and customers and
the value of their purchases amount
to between 950 and 1.1 billion euros.
Local markets are very dynamic, a hive
of activity, but they also help to promo-
te a food culture based on a balanced,
healthy and quality diet.
Markets with an international
projection
Different markets and towns across
Europe have joined together under
the Emporion Association to defend
and strengthen the role of markets
as keys to urban, commercial, social
and cultural development. The asso-
ciation, based in Barcelona, provides
support so that markets can improve
their every day business practice,
and it aims to provide markets with
a voice at the European Union level,
too. As such, the Association is also
promoting a project called Med
Emporion with European funding
and led by Barcelona, and the result
has been exhibitions, educational
projects, studies and best practices
identi?ed in this business.
Markets as social, cultural and
health benchmarks
Different activities are carried out in
markets, like campaigns, events and
other measures such as:
09.
BARCELONA’S
MUNICIPAL
MARKETS,
THE LARGEST
NETWORK
OF FOOD MARKETS
IN EUROPE
23
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
- Campaigns promoting health
related issues such as Fight Cancer
Week or Cardiovascular prevention
workshops.
- Educational programmes for schools,
to encourage the use of food markets
and healthy eating habits like To keep
a balanced diet, I eat market produce.
- Organization of market and product
fairs like The market of markets
campaign.
- Participation at events and work-
shops like Alimentaria and Barcelona
Degusta.
- Joint action programmes with social
organizations across the region like
The Big Food Collection with Banc
dels Aliments or the Solidarity Bag
with the movement Escolta.
- Consumption promotions to favour
environmentally-friendly measures
like the distribution of reusable bags.
- Promotional campaigns to stimu-
late sales like Pla de dinamització
comercial.
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10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
Barcelona’s people are the
heirs to the Mediterranean
Diet and a food culture
deeply rooted in our history
for thousands of years. This
has allowed us to enjoy a
healthy diet and create an
internationally recognized
culinary tradition.
On the 16
th
of November 2010,
UNESCO decided to recognize
the Mediterranean Diet as a World
Intangible Cultural Heritage. This
recognition was thanks to an alliance
between Spain, Italy, Greece and Mo-
rocco, who had been working for two
years to win the nomination. With its
headquarters in Barcelona, the Medi-
terranean Diet Foundation (FDM)
has been the key organization in this
transnational coordination process.
This UNESCO recognition represents
a major boost to the international
prestige of the Mediterranean Diet
and its general promotion. This has
also been the case when other
concepts have been recognized by
UNESCO as world heritage. The
move also means a huge boost for
the promotion of local agricultural
production related to Mediterranean
and avant-garde cuisine, sustainable
rural development, our landscape and
the overall environment of our region.
The Mediterranean Diet Foun-
dation was created in 1996 to
preserve a lifestyle shared by the
Mediterranean’s different peoples
for thousands of years. Scientists
have shown that this lifestyle is be-
ne?cial for our health and wellbeing.
Also, it contributes to the mainte-
nance of sustainable agriculture and
the preservation of the environment.
The main objectives of the Founda-
tion are to promote research about
the Mediterranean Diet in relation
to health issues, history, culture,
cuisine, agriculture and environmen-
tal studies, and to use the results
to promote the Mediterranean to
different population groups.
The Board of Trustees of the
Foundation’s Honorary President
is HRH Infanta Cristina and it has
the support of the main of?cial
institutions:
10.
BARCELONA
AND THE
MEDITERRANEAN
DIET
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Environment (MAGRAMA)
- Olive Communal Heritage Foun-
dation
- Barcelona City Council
- Mercabarna
- Department of Agriculture, Lives-
tock, Fisheries, Food and Natural En-
vironment (DAAM). Together with 8
companies in the foodstuff industry.
The Foundation has an internatio-
nal scienti?c committee made up
of over 23 renowned international
researchers from over 12 countries.
The main activities of the Founda-
tion include:
- School education campaigns
about food and the Mediterranean
Diet Foods
- Organization of the Barcelona
International Congress on the Medi-
terranean Diet
- The International Observatory of
the Mediterranean Diet Report.
Catalonia as an international gastronomy and
restaurant benchmark: for example, Catalonia
has more Michelin-starred eateries than any other
Spanish region:
- Restaurants with 1 star: 39
- Restaurants with 2 stars: 3
- Restaurants with 3 stars: 4
El Bulli Foundation (Ferran Adrià)
www.elbulli.com
El Celler de Can Roca
(Josep Roca, Jordi Roca and Joan Roca)
www.cellercanroca.com
El Racó de Can Fabes (Founded by Santi Santa-
maria, Àngels Serra and Xavier Pellicer)
www.canfabes.com
Sant Pau (Carme Ruscalleda)
www.ruscalleda.com
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Links
05
Universities and Research
Centres
Centre for Research in Economics
and Agricultural development
(CREDA)
www.creda.es
Centre for Animal Health Research
(CReSA)
www.cresa.es
Spanish National Research Council
(CSIC)
www.csic.edu
Centre for New Technologies and
Food Processes (CENTA)
www.centa.cat
ESADE
www.esade.edu
School of Agricultural Engineering
of Barcelona
www.esab.upc.edu
IESE
www.iese.edu
Catalan Institute of Vines and Wine
www.gencat.cat/dar/incavi
Institute for Research and
Technology (IRTA)
www.irta.cat
Laboratory of Vegetable Molecular
Genetics(Consortium CSIC-IRTA)
www.csic-irta.es
Autonomous University of
Barcelona
www.uab.es
University of Barcelona
www.ub.edu
University of Girona
www.udg.edu
University of Lleida
www.udl.es
Polytechnic University of Catalonia
www.upc.edu
Rovira i Virgili University
www.urv.cat
Local and regional agencies
22@Barcelona
www.22barcelona.com
ACC1Ó - Government of Catalonia
www.acc10.cat
Barcelona City Council
Economy, Business and
Employment Area
www.bcn.cat/barcelonabusiness
Autonomous Regional Government
of Catalonia
Department of Agriculture, Food,
Rural Action
www.gencat.cat/darp
Institute of Municipal Markets
www.mercatsbcn.com
Mercabarna
www.mercabarna.es
Barcelona Zona Franca Consortium
www.elconsorci.net
State agencies
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Environment
www.magrama.es
Business organizations
AECOC – GS1 Spain
www.aecoc.es
Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
www.cambrabcn.org
Clúster Catalonia Gourmet
www.cataloniagourmet.cat
Emporion
www.emporion.org
Barcelona trade fair
www.?rabcn.es
Mediterranean Diet Foundation
www.fdmed.org
Triptolemos Foundation
www.triptolemos.org
www.bcn.cat/barcelonabusiness
With co-?nancing
doc_932103508.pdf
Industry in
Barcelona
Edition
Barcelona City Council
Economy, Business and Employment Area
Llacuna 162
08018 Barcelona
www.bcn.cat/barcelonabusiness
With the help of
Mercabarna
Alimentaria Exhibitions S.A.
Institut de Mercats Municipals
Fundació Dieta Mediterrània
Consorci de la Zona Franca
Design and layout: g.gra?c
D.L. (Copyright): B-11045-2012
Barcelona, January 2012
01. Barcelona, the Mediterranean’s innovation hub 05
02. 10 reasons to invest in Barcelona 06
03. The Foodstuff Industry, a strategic sector for Barcelona
and Catalonia 08
04. 10 reasons to invest in the Foodstuff Industry
in Barcelona and Catalonia
01. An important Foodstuff Industry 10
02. Benchmark European cluster 12
03. Privileged geostrategic position 13
04. Presence of leading companies 14
05. Leadership in fresh produce 16
06. Barcelona Food Platform 18
07. Strategic commitment to Research and Development 19
08. Alimentaria, the second most important international food fair 20
09. Barcelona’s Municipal Markets, the largest network of food
markets in Europe 22
10. Barcelona and the Mediterranean Diet 24
05. Links 26
Table of contents
05
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Barcelona, located in north-eastern
Spain and on the shores of the
Mediterranean, is one of the principal
European cities and the centre of a
vast metropolitan region of more than
160 towns, and with a population of
more than 5 million people. It is the
economic, cultural and administrative
capital of Catalonia and the centre of
an emerging area of economic activity
in Southern Europe, with 17 million
people and 800,000 businesses. The
Euro-Mediterranean region, including
the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Ara-
gon and the south-east of France, is
positioning itself in new strategic and
internationally-competitive sectors,
consolidating itself internationally as a
major European metropolis.
With a long industrial tradition and
a dense business fabric, Barcelona
has a highly diversi?ed economic
structure. Its more traditional sec-
tors coexist with new emerging ones,
creating new clusters of knowledge that
prioritise specialisation and competiti-
veness, focusing on internationalisation
and creating a dynamic and innovative
city economy. This has helped to drive
Barcelona’s strategic leadership in the-
se ?elds. In 2010, Catalonia was home
to more than 3,400 international ?rms
in several sectors and received 36%
of all annual foreign investment in
Spain, 90% of this concentrated in the
Barcelona area.
Taking into account the distribution
of gross value added across business
activities, Catalonia is Spain’s top auto-
nomous region in the industrial sector,
accounting for 25.2% of the total mar-
ket. In terms of services, it is positioned
second regarding national gross value
added generated. Catalonia accounts
for 28.2% of all Spain’s companies in
industries with high and medium high-
tech and knowledge-based services.
Additionally, Barcelona’s entrepreneu-
rial activity rate in 2010 was 5.5%,
above both the Spanish and European
averages according to the Global En-
trepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2010.
Barcelona’s international economic
activities are mainly driven by the
Trade Fair, the Port, Airport, the Zona
Franca Consortium, Barcelona’s
Tourism Consortium, Barcelona City
Council and its new technological
innovation districts. As such, and given
the importance of innovation in foste-
ring competitiveness, productivity and
the internationalisation of companies,
the Food Industry is one of the key
sectors for Barcelona and Catalonia.
Barcelona and Catalonia have posi-
tioned themselves as leaders in the
food industry, and now bring together
the largest number of top foodstuff
companies and the largest production
volume in Spain. This area is also
especially signi?cant because of its
many facilities, universities and tech-
nology centres that support research
and innovation activities in this area,
as well as hosting the second largest
foodstuff fair in the world.
Barcelona and Catalonia boast a rich
food and cuisine culture, internationa-
lly recognised in terms of its eateries,
with the Mediterranean Diet as a key
driver.
Barcelona,
the Mediterranean’s
innovation hub
01
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN REGION
CATALONIA
BARCELONA
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02
10 reasons
to invest in
Barcelona
Barcelona offers a
number of different
elements that make it
an attractive place to
live, work and do bu-
siness. Today the city
is a highly interesting
location for new eco-
nomic activities. Some
good reasons to invest
here are as follows
06. Human resources prepared for the future
Barcelona now has one of the leading labour markets in Europe in terms of critical
mass in high value-added sectors; highly productive, one of the best in Europe
according to the OECD; 8 public and private universities; a number of prestigious
business schools including ESADE, IESE and EADA; 34 international schools; wide-
spread use of new technology and a natural tendency for innovation and creativity.
07. Excellent quality of life
For the 14th year running, Barcelona boasts Europe’s best quality of life for
employees*. It has a mild climate, sun, beaches, culture, splendid leisure time
and arts programmes, a network of 4,500 educational institutions, modern and
accessible health system. It is easy to get around on the public transport system
and boasts beautiful parks that surround the city.
08.
Large-scale urban-planning projects for
the future
Transformation of 1,000 ha and 7 million m
2
of ?oor space in the metropolitan area
of Barcelona.
Llobregat Area: commitment to logistics, aerospace and mobility, with expansion
of the port and airport.
Besòs Area: urban renewal, universities and research and innovation centers;
Porta Europa-La Sagrera: arrival of the high-speed train; 22@Barcelona: the new
technology and innovation district, and the Diagonal-Besòs Campus for activities
related to energy, water and sustainable mobility.
Vallès Area: strategic concentration of technology, nanotechnology and research
facilities; the Alba Synchrotron, the Vallès Technology Park and the UAB Re-
search Park.
09. Competitive real estate market
Wide range of of?ces, retail spaces and industrial warehouses with excellent
price/quality balance and a high occupation rate.
10. Unique public/private cooperation
Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Government are highly committed to
companies; the success of traditional public/private collaboration has been key to
Barcelona’s transformation.
01. Strategic geographic location
Two hours by road from France and one day from the main European
cities. The gateway to Southern Europe and capital of the Union for the
Mediterranean, Barcelona’s port, airport, logistics parks, international
trade fairs and city center are found within a ?ve-kilometer radius.
02. Comprehensive transport infrastructure
A network of motorways connected to Europe; the fastest growing airport
in Europe; the top Spanish port and largest container port in the Medite-
rranean; wide reaching underground, train and bus networks; high-speed
train connections to the European rail network as of 2013.
03. Center of a large, dynamic and diverse
economic area
The Barcelona area has nearly 5 million inhabitants. It is the capital of Ca-
talonia, with 7.5 million inhabitants, and the center of the Mediterranean
Basin, an economic area with 18 million inhabitants. It accounts for 70%
of Catalonia’s GDP, and is the sixth largest urban area in Europe and has
the ?fth highest concentration in Europe in terms of industry. Catalonia
has nearly 7,000 businesses working in innovation related activities, most
of which are located in Barcelona and its surrounding area.
04. Successful foreign investment
Barcelona is ranked the sixfth best city in Europe for business*, and Ca-
talonia accounts for approximately 36% of all foreign investment in Spain
and is home to more than 3,400 foreign companies, 90% of whom are
located in the Barcelona area.
05. Internationally renowned positioning
Barcelona tops a number of international rankings, which rate its urban
environment, ability to attract foreign capital, entrepreneurial spirit and
quality of life very highly.
*According to Cushman & Wake?eld, European Cities Monitor 2011.
It’s also worth noting the importance
of consumption and particularily gas-
tronomy, with Barcelona, Catalonia
and Spain having become internatio-
nal benchmarks. The Mediterranean
Diet has been a signi?cant driver in
this process, having now become
a steering force and benchmark
across a wide range of eateries
present in the area. But, so too is the
rich culinary tradition and consolida-
ted prestige of Catalan chefs, which
has made Barcelona one of the
great capitals for quality and creative
gastronomy.
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09
The Foodstuff
Industry in
Barcelona
and Catalonia
03
The Catalan foodstuff
industry leads the Spanish
market, and Barcelona
plays a crucial role in this
positioning, accounting for
a large volume of the total
production and most of the
research, innovation and fo-
reign investment generated
in the sector. Catalonia is
Spain’s top autonomous re-
gion in terms of its foodstuff
sector, representing 23% of
total net sales, and a simi-
lar percentage of operating
incomes.
As well, Catalonia boasts a rich food
and gastronomy culture, especially
thanks to consumption habits based
on the Mediterranean Diet, quality
shopping opportunities and interna-
tionally renowned restaurants.
In recent years, Catalonia and the
metropolitan area of Barcelona
have positioned themselves as a
benchmark region regarding the
food and beverage industry and
the agro-foods business. The food
industry plays an essential role
in the Spanish economic system,
and is one of the most important
industrial sectors.
To put the importance of the food
sector in the Catalan economy in
context, the foodstuff, beverages
and tobacco industry is the principal
business sector in terms of turnover
with 17.9% of the total; there are
nearly 3,600 companies, many of
them in the Barcelona metropolitan
area. Between them they generate
78,500 direct jobs, and in 2008
they accounted for 20.5% of all
employment in the Spanish food-
stuff industry.
Additionally, Barcelona’s weight and
prowess in the foodstuff world is
re?ected by its distribution facili-
ties, with, for example, Mercabarna
supplying produce and products to
a catchment area of more than 10
million people, stretching from the
north east of Spain to the north of
Italy. Barcelona is the host city for
the Alimentaria trade fair show, the
second largest in Europe, and ?nally
it has a large number of universities
and research centers working in the
?elds of nutrition and food safety.
This document aims to set out the underlying features of the
current and future agro-foodstuff sector in Catalonia and
Barcelona under 10 strategic reasons:
01 An important Foodstuff Industry
02 European benchmark cluster
03 Privileged geostrategic position
04 Presence of leading companies
05 Leadership in fresh produce
06 Barcelona Food Platform
07 Strategic commitment to research and development
08 Alimentaria, the second most important international
food fair
09 Barcelona’s Municipal Markets, the largest network of
food markets in Europe
10 Barcelona and the Mediterranean Diet
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11
Catalonia has a long
tradition in the food sector,
re?ected by the importance
of this sector’s economic
activity in the overall
industrial makeup, and
which has become one of
the main drivers of the
Catalan economy.
The weight of the food industry
regarding overall net sales made by
Catalonia’s industry is 17.8%. This is
almost the same ?gure as the che-
mical or pharmaceutical sectors, with
a turnover of 20.055 billion Euro in
2008, the same year that Catalonia
registered the highest employment
in this sector in Spain, with 78,500
workers or 20.5% of all Spain’s
agricultural sector.
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry in
Barcelona and
Catalonia
04
01.
AN IMPORTANT
FOODSTUFF
INDUSTRY
5.70%
1.40%
4.80%
4.20%
7.40%
12.50%
10.20%
6.50%
2.40%
30.40%
0.60%
2.70%
7.30%
Distribution of product sales in
the food industry in Catalonia.
Year 2008 (%)
Meat industry
Fish transformation
Fruit and vegetables
conserves
Fats and oils
Dairy industry
Grain and mill
products
Animal feed
products
Bread, pastries,
pasta
Sugar, chocolate,
confectionery
Other diverse
product
Wines
Other alcoholic
drinks
Waters and
non-alcoholic drinks
Distribution of jobs across the food
industry in Catalonia.
Year 2008 (%)
3.40%
1.70%
5.90%
4.30%
19.60%
4.10%
10.50%
4.50%
2.00%
36.20%
1.30%
3.00%
1.80%
Barcelona’s metropolitan area
constitutes a ?rst class foodstuff
cluster offering those companies
that locate here a wide range of
opportunities to identify and adapt
to industry trends.
Laboratory of ideas and
identi?cation of new trends
Barcelona has become a key loca-
tion to discover new purchasing and
consumption habits, and identify new
emerging trends in the food sector.
Additionally, with important trade
fairs and cultural activities related
to the foodstuff industry taking place
here, like the Alimentaria trade fair,
Barcelona has turned itself into a
centre for the generation and detec-
tion of new opportunities in
the sector, and a laboratory of
continuous ideas.
As such, Barcelona allows com-
panies to identify opportunities,
develop and test their innovations
all in the same setting, especially
regarding:
- New consumer habits and the
identi?cation of new consumer
segments
- New shopping patterns
- The launch and analysis of new
products, such as organic, functional
foods
- Adaptation to new marketing chan-
nels such as the hotel and catering
channel.
Key setting for the
development of innovation
and research
Catalonia has a wide network
of institutions and organizations
pioneering R&D to help companies
develop new products and services
(IRTA, research groups based out of
public universities, etc...). These allow
for and provide a ?rst rate space to
share knowledge about innovation.
- Product innovation, especially in
the development of the 4
th
and 5
th
ranges
- Innovation in production processes,
especially in processing techniques,
and the elaboration and conservation
of products
- Adapting to distribution logistics
trends and related technologies
such as smart packaging
- Technology innovation
- The inclusion of innovation in
environmental issues and waste
management.
In the Barcelona metropolitan area
there are also signi?cant clusters
that can provide synergies and com-
plement the Foodstuff Industry, such
as the ICT or biotech sector.
We should also highlight Barcelona’s
strategic location and its proximity to
major logistics facilities, which gives
it a signi?cant international slant.
Thus, Catalonia, and especially the
metropolitan area of Barcelona have
become an important catalyst and
generator of business opportunities
and the development of R&D in the
foodstuff sector.
Meat industry
Fish transformation
Fruit and vegetables
conserves
Fats and oils
Dairy industry
Grain and mill
products
Animal feed
products
Bread, pastries,
pasta
Sugar, chocolate,
confectionery
Other diverse
product
Wines
Other alcoholic
drinks
Waters and
non-alcoholic drinks
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AIRPORT
PORT
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
BARCELONA
Road network
Renfe railway network
FGC railway network
Freight network
ZAL
ZF Logistics Park
Barcelona Airport
freight Centre
Port of Barcelona
Zona Franca Customs
Barcelona Airport
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12 13
Barcelona enjoys a privile-
ged geographical location
given that the highly con-
centrated nature of its size
- just 5 km in radius - and
where a variety of transport
modes coincide (sea, air,
rail and road), combined
with the facilities and land
required for the develop-
ment of quality large logis-
tics facilities.
Especially important is the Llobre-
gat Delta platform, whose facilities
have made it a top foodstuff cluster.
These assets are characterized by
the following infrastructure:
- The Zona Franca industrial
zone, which is the largest and
most active industrial area in
Spain. It has a gross area of
600 hectares with more than
200 companies set up there and
with an economic activity genera-
ting 20 billion euros (2006).
- Mercabarna, the leading food-
stuff cluster in the southwest of
Europe.
- Barcelona Airport.
- The Port of Barcelona and
ZAL, which has more than 830 ha
dedicated to the foodstuff sector,
with 6 speci?c terminals. Freight
traf?c (imports/exports) is around
7.4 million tonnes a year.
Finally, Catalonia has large food-
stuff warehousing facilities,
currently around 1.5 million m
2
, of
which some 60% is located in the
province of Barcelona and which
includes a wide range of cooled
logistics facilities.
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
The regional food sector in
the Barcelona area has be-
come a benchmark at the
European and international
level, having become:
- A first-rate foodstuff
cluster
- A centre of attraction for
international companies
The foodstuff cluster in Catalonia
holds a leading position in Europe,
according to data from the Euro-
pean Cluster Observatory presen-
ted by the Stockholm School of
Economics, which analysed more
than 250 European regions.
Catalonia has become, along with
the Italian region of Lombardy,
one of the major foodstuff clusters
in Europe in terms of number of
jobs generated and size, compa-
red to the 150 foodstuff clusters
considered.
Regarding Spain, the food cluster
in the Barcelona area is the leader
because it generates more jobs
and occupies more space than any
other cluster except the construc-
tion industry.
High attraction value for
foreign investment
As well, the greater Barcelona area
has become a magnet for foreign in-
vestment, especially in industry and
advanced services. Catalonia has
become the top destination of fo-
reign companies. In 2010, Catalonia
was home to more than 3,400 in-
ternational ?rms and received 36%
of all annual foreign investment in
Spain, 90% of this concentrated in
the Barcelona area. It is worth no-
ting that nearly 97% of these show
high levels of satisfaction with their
location decision.
In the context of foodstuff, the dyna-
mic nature and overall attractiveness
of this region is re?ected by the
fact that 11% of foreign investment
in Catalonia is in this sector, just
behind the automotive sector, which
boasts 13% of all investment.
02.
EUROPEAN
BENCHMARK
CLUSTER
03.
PRIVILEGED
GEOSTRATEGIC
POSITION
Foodstuff Clusters
(Europe’s top 10 ranking)
1. Lombardy (Milan), IT
2. Catalonia (Barcelona), ES
3. Denmark, DK
4. Brittany (Rennes), FR
5. Vlaams Gewest, BE
6. Emilia-Romagna (Bologna), IT
7. Veneto (Venice), IT
8. Pays de la Loire (Nantes), FR
9. Mazowieckie (Warsaw), PL
10. Andalusia (Seville), ES
DENMARK
BELGIUM
FRANCE
SPAIN
ITALY
POLAND
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In 2009 the Foodstuff Cluster
Association was set up with
Mercabarna, 22@Barcelona, The
Consortium of the Zona Franca Bar-
celona, the Car Dealership Associa-
tion of Mercabarna (Assocome) as
founding members.
The Association’s aim is to help
improve the competitiveness of
its companies and ensure their
growth, promoting companies’ stra-
tegic innovation in order to adapt
to changes in the sector. As such,
within the association they are de-
veloping projects in areas of Food
Service, wholesale and retail.
Six outstanding foodstuff clusters (Catalonia)
- Meat Industries: This cluster is made up of over 200 companies
with 8,300 employees.
- Aquaculture: Fifty companies compose this sector’s value chain
with a turnover of 400 million Euros.
- Wines and cavas: This cluster brings together more than
200 companies employing 2,500 workers and a turnover of
575 million euros.
- Foodstuff packaging and machinery: There are 300 compa-
nies in this sector with a total turnover of around 2.6 billion Euros,
making it the second largest in Europe, together with the Øresund
region (Denmark and Sweden).
- Foodservice: With 150 companies dedicated exclusively to this
sector and over 300 others with signi?cant business activity dedica-
ted to this area, the estimated turnover of companies in this industry
is more than 4.3 billion euros.
- Catalonia Gourmet: made up by 21 companies, this cluster’s
main objective is to promote and contribute to the competiveness of
the Catalan gourmet food stuff sector.
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Catalonia is a benchmark
in the industrial foodstuff
sector, both because of the
presence of outstanding
and sector-leading inter-
national companies -es-
pecially in the Barcelona
area-, and because of the
presence of six benchmark
clusters. In parallel, com-
plementary industries, like
those related to containers
and packaging, logistics,
cold storage, etc… have
been developed.
The quantity of foodstuff compa-
nies in Catalonia is very high and
brings together nearly 3,000 firms.
Nationally, Catalonia heads the
ranking with respect to large com-
panies, with almost 700. Most of
this employment-generating indus-
try is in the province of Barcelona,
which has become a strategic area
for any major food company.
For example, in Catalonia and espe-
cially in the Barcelona metropolitan
area can be found leading foodstuff
companies with a signi?cant presen-
ce of leading international compa-
nies in their respective sectors.
Some of the most noteworthy include
Nestlé, Danone, Agroalimen, Panrico,
Borges, Bimbo, Coca-Cola, Damm,
Freixenet, Codorniu, Cargill Spain,
Corporación Alimentaria de Guissona
or Bacardi, to name but a few.
At the same time, this major
concentration of businesses has
generated high levels of specia-
lization and professional qualifi-
cations, and provides top quality
human capital and knowledge.
The main association of manufactu-
rers and distributors (AECOC), with
nearly 24,000 members, has its
headquarters in Barcelona. AECOC,
which was founded to promote the
use of bar codes, has evolved to
provide the distribution industry with
the sort of collaboration network
needed to reach consumers as
ef?ciently as possible, whilst also
identifying opportunities for impro-
vements along the entire production
chain. AECOC is also a member and
representative of the GS1 organiza-
tion in Spain, whose objective is to
de?ne standards and best practices
in supply chain management.
04.
PRESENCE
OF LEADING
COMPANIES
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
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16 17
Mercabarna is a ?rst rate
Food Unit, having beco-
me one of the major fresh
produce foodstuff clusters
in the southwest of Europe,
offering marketing activities,
the development of added
value for foodstuff, logistics,
distribution, import and ex-
port, and the incorporation
of technology facilities and
services, waste manage-
ment and environmentally
friendly policies.
Mercabarna (Mercados de
Abastecimientos de Barcelona,
SA) manages the Food Unit, which
brings together the city’s wholesale
markets (Central Market of Fruits
and Vegetables, Central Fish Mar-
ket and Slaughterhouse), as well
as the many ?rms making, selling,
distributing, importing and expor-
ting fresh and frozen products,
providing value added products
and customer service, and which
are located in the Complementary
Activities Zone (ZAC).
Mercabarna also has a plot of
4.5 hectares next to Barcelona
Airport, where it has built Merca-
barna Flower, a new business
centre that specializes in wholesale
?owers, plants and accessories.
- Location: Barcelona’s Zona
Franca
- Area: 90 hectares
- Number of companies: 700
- People who access the zone
every day: 25,000
- Number of employees: 8,000
- Annual Turnover: 3 billion euros
Mercabarna products are sent to
Spain and reach many countries
around the world, but its immedia-
te sphere of in?uence covers the
whole of Catalonia, north Valencia,
the strip along south Aragon, the
Balearic Islands, Andorra, the south
of France and northern Italy. In total,
Mercabarna supplies fresh produce
to around 10 million consumers.
Mercabarna is strategically located
at the heart of the main logistics
area of the country, where we ?nd
the principal transport infrastructure
(ports, airports, terminal Tir, Nus del
Llobregat, freight train station, etc.).
This is just 10 km from the centre
of Barcelona. The quality of fresh
products decreases signi?cantly
over time, so logistics advantages
and good transport are essential,
especially since transport origins
and destinations are increasingly
remote.
The promotion and development
of the Complementary Activities
Zone (ZAC) around the wholesale
markets has been crucial for the
evolution of Mercabarna and this
is what differentiates this impor-
tant foodstuff park from other
markets in the world. In this area
value-added activities have been
promoted to product and customer
services to meet the current needs
of commerce and consumers.
ZAC activities include: companies
involved with the preparation of
fresh produce (cleaning, handling,
packaging, etc.), seafood nurseries;
banana maturers; potato dea-
lers (importing, cleaning, sorting,
packing); importers and exporters
from all over the world, modern
fruit chain processors, companies
supplying the restaurant trade; large
distribution companies’ purchasing
platforms, cooking units for catering
companies, large refrigerators for
public use, etc..
As such, value added activities are
becoming more and more impor-
tant (preparation and packaging of
products). This was something that
started in the meat companies, but
that has now spread to fruit and ve-
getables dealers and, more recently,
?shmongers.
This diversi?cation of activities
–mainly driven by large retailers-,
is also very good for the hotel and
restaurant sector.
In addition, some of these compa-
nies have also committed to develo-
ping products for what is known as
the ?fth range (pre-cooked meals),
directed mainly at hospitality and
catering channels. This is still very
much a new business area and
therefore it’s dif?cult to assess the
results to date.
Mercabarna also forms part of the
Mercasa markets network, a set of
23 wholesale markets across Spain
whose total surface area covers
more than 7 million m
2
with more
than 3,500 wholesalers.
05.
LEADERSHIP
IN FRESH
PRODUCE
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
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Catalonia, and in particular
the metropolitan area, has
highly-signi?cant facilities,
platforms and universities
engaged in research, deve-
lopment and innovation in
the food sector, and this has
helped it to get the most
of the sectors’ extensive
industry knowledge to pro-
vide service companies with
the sort of R&D&i needed
to increase products’ added
value, incorporating new
technologies and innovation.
Catalonia, and the Barcelona area
in particular, offer a wide range of
research centres and investigation
groups linked to the foodstuff world
that has helped to create a body of
businesses with a vocation for in-
novation, and that provide research
and development services that
companies need.
07.
A STRATEGIC
COMMITMENT TO
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
19
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
Leading research centres:
- Analysis of Innovative Techno-
logy for Competitive Industrial
Processes (ATIPIC)
- Research Centre for Agricultu-
ral Economics and Development
(CREDA)
- Centre for Research in Toxicolo-
gy (CERETOX)
- Nutrition and Health Technolo-
gy Centre (CTNS)
- Centre for biotechnological and
agrifood developments (DBA)
- Research Centre for Animal
Health (CReSA)
- Spanish National Research
Council (CSIC)
- Catalan Institute of Vines and
Wine (INCAVI)
- Institute for Research and Tech-
nology (CSIC-IRTA consortium)
- Bakery Sector’s Center for Te-
chnology Promotion (INNOPAN)
- Centre for Nutrition and Aging
(NUTREN-nutrigenomics)
- Triptolemos Foundation
- Food and Science Foundation
(ALICIA)
- Combinatorial Chemistry Unit
(UQC)
The main universities in
the country boast research
groups related to the agro-
food sector, which carry
out fundamental, basic, and
applied research
- Autonomous University of
Barcelona
- University of Barcelona
- University of Girona
- University of Lleida
- Polytechnic University of
Catalonia
- University of Rovira i Virgili
Since 1916, the Zona Franca
Consortium (CZF) has been
managing what is one of
Spain’s main industrial zones
and Catalonia’s principal
industrial park -incidentally
going by the same name as
the consortium itself. In this
area, CZF has a 44-hectare
zone classi?ed as urban
22AL, which means it is
being given over to activities
related to the food industry.
Recently, CZF has recove-
red an area of 50 hectares
(the former SEAT factory) to
promote as a new business
venture zone project called
Enterprise Platform BZi and
17 hectares of this land will
be made over to the new
food axis alone.
This new area is being used by Mer-
cabarna and CZF to develop the so-
called Barcelona Food Platform, an
idea aimed at getting technology and
knowledge-led food companies to set
up in this part of the industrial zone
(a 160 hectares area that includes
spaces developed by Mercabarna, BZi
and 22AL) which aims to characteri-
se the technological changes that the
food sector needs to make.
As such, both Mercabarna and CZF
share the same policy measures
regarding driving the food sector
to reach new objectives in terms of
their approaches to strategy, tactics
and operations. This frame, which is
a joint and coordinated Mercabarna-
CZF strategy, has to aim at providing
a better service and to clarifying
the forecasts of future growth and
the consolidation of the whole food
industry and those companies that
operate in it. Additionally, it has to
raise the national and international
impact of the Barcelona Zona Franca
food centre in order to make it a
benchmark -without it prejudicing
the legitimate interests and objecti-
ves of the respective entities-, in or-
der to achieve the following speci?c
objectives:
1. The growth and consolidation of
food-related activities in the Zona
Franca area, making this a central
foodstuff business area that has a
national and international benchmark
projection and which boasts signi?-
cant components of innovation and
value-added.
2. The complementary nature of mea-
sures taken by Mercabarna and CZF,
that avoid duplication and competi-
tion, and that facilitate the creation of
synergies and the sorts of economies
of scale that come from the combined
actions of these stakeholders.
3. The encouragement and promotion
of innovative measures, processes
and the distribution of fresh produce
to the entire foodstuff area affected.
4. The promotion of best-practices
services to companies in the food-
stuff area by both organizations.
5. The promotion of technical, busi-
ness and ?nancial assistance by both
entities to foodstuffs-related business
operators –and also between the en-
tities themselves-, to achieve common
goals that best meet the needs of the
industry and businesses.
06.
BARCELONA
FOOD PLATFORM
BZi Barcelona Innovation Zone
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Alimentaria is Spain’s most
important international food
and beverage trade fair
and one of top events in
the world. The fair, which is
been held for 18 by-annual
events, is a true meeting
point for international food
manufacturing and distri-
bution, and some of the
industry’s principal innova-
tions have been presented
here.
With an increase of 60% in the
number of participating countries
over the last 12 years, some 4,000
leading companies in the manufac-
ture and distribution of food and
beverages from over 75 countries
come together for this event every
two years for what is an international
benchmark event year after year. The
number of visitors during the last edi-
tion was 140,000, with 25% of these
coming from 155 foreign countries.
The event has become an interna-
tional business centre and a bridge
between Europe, Africa and Latin
America, a fact that is now one of the
core values of international fairs held
in Barcelona.
From this leading and privileged
position, and backed up by its past
results and guided by the core values
of innovation, professionalism, inter-
nationalization and parallel dynamic
activities to the main exhibition,
Alimentaria enjoys undisputed
recognition and credibility. So much
so that its trade show model has
been exported to other cities such
as Lisbon (Alimentaria & Horexpo-
Lisbon) and Mexico D.F. (Alimentaria
Mexico), and very soon it will take
place in other cities, too.
The fair generated a turnover for
participating companies of more than
1.8 billion euros, with the city itself
bene?ting from fair-related supple-
mentary incomes worth 168 million.
The impact of the fair is not only
quantitative, but also very qualita-
tive, re?ected by the many parallel
activities held, too. All of these are
linked to research, development and
foodstuff innovation, knowledge
creation, nutrition, health, welfare,
sustainability, the Mediterranean
Diet, new ways to communicate,
retail, and avant-garde cuisine.
08.
ALIMENTARIA,
THE SECOND
MOST IMPORTANT
INTERNATIONAL
FOOD FAIR
21
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
A fair with cross-sector represen-
tation from all other industries:
CONGELEXPO
Frozen products
EXPOBEBIDAS
Soft drinks, mineral waters, beers,
ciders and grape juices
EXPOCONSER
Conserves and semi conserves
INTERCARN
Meat products and derivatives
INTERLACT
Milk & dairy products and derivatives
OLIVARIA
Olive oil and vegetable oils
INTERPESCA
Seafood and ?sh farming
INTERVIN
Wines and spirits
Total Surface Area
Workshops and Activities
Number of Companies
Professional Visitors
International Professional Visitors
2004
105,815m
2
6,000m
2
4,087
142,513
31,000
2006
115,000m
2
7,000m
2
4,148
152,344
32,892
2008
108,714m
2
9,000m
2
4,806
157,632
33,418
2010
85,122m
2
9,500m
2
3,936
140,542
35,874
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The foodstuff industry is
strengthened by a food
culture based on quality and
health, and this has had the
knock on effect of creating a
wide range of stalls in muni-
cipal markets, and especially
those in the Barcelona area.
Barcelona’s markets have
a thousand years of history
behind them and they are a
signi?cant part of the city’s
economy, where one can
?nd a wide range of food
and mainly fresh produce.
The network of markets in Barcelona
is the largest network of food markets
in Europe, with 43 markets -39 of
these food markets and 4 non-food
markets- scattered across the city’s
different neighbourhoods. In these
markets you’ll ?nd 2,895 stalls, with
1,984 of these food-related, and in
18 of the markets we can ?nd some
sort of supermarket (self service)
operator. Markets in Barcelona are
grouped under the network of markets
overseen by the Institute of Muni-
cipal Markets of Barcelona, the
largest network in Europe. Figurewise,
the city’s markets boast 108,000 m
2
of commercial surface area, 208,500
m
2
of constructed area, and about
8,000 direct jobs. Estimates show
that every year the city markets get
60 million visitors and customers and
the value of their purchases amount
to between 950 and 1.1 billion euros.
Local markets are very dynamic, a hive
of activity, but they also help to promo-
te a food culture based on a balanced,
healthy and quality diet.
Markets with an international
projection
Different markets and towns across
Europe have joined together under
the Emporion Association to defend
and strengthen the role of markets
as keys to urban, commercial, social
and cultural development. The asso-
ciation, based in Barcelona, provides
support so that markets can improve
their every day business practice,
and it aims to provide markets with
a voice at the European Union level,
too. As such, the Association is also
promoting a project called Med
Emporion with European funding
and led by Barcelona, and the result
has been exhibitions, educational
projects, studies and best practices
identi?ed in this business.
Markets as social, cultural and
health benchmarks
Different activities are carried out in
markets, like campaigns, events and
other measures such as:
09.
BARCELONA’S
MUNICIPAL
MARKETS,
THE LARGEST
NETWORK
OF FOOD MARKETS
IN EUROPE
23
10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
- Campaigns promoting health
related issues such as Fight Cancer
Week or Cardiovascular prevention
workshops.
- Educational programmes for schools,
to encourage the use of food markets
and healthy eating habits like To keep
a balanced diet, I eat market produce.
- Organization of market and product
fairs like The market of markets
campaign.
- Participation at events and work-
shops like Alimentaria and Barcelona
Degusta.
- Joint action programmes with social
organizations across the region like
The Big Food Collection with Banc
dels Aliments or the Solidarity Bag
with the movement Escolta.
- Consumption promotions to favour
environmentally-friendly measures
like the distribution of reusable bags.
- Promotional campaigns to stimu-
late sales like Pla de dinamització
comercial.
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10 reasons
to invest in
the Foodstuff
Industry
in Barcelona
and Catalonia
04
Barcelona’s people are the
heirs to the Mediterranean
Diet and a food culture
deeply rooted in our history
for thousands of years. This
has allowed us to enjoy a
healthy diet and create an
internationally recognized
culinary tradition.
On the 16
th
of November 2010,
UNESCO decided to recognize
the Mediterranean Diet as a World
Intangible Cultural Heritage. This
recognition was thanks to an alliance
between Spain, Italy, Greece and Mo-
rocco, who had been working for two
years to win the nomination. With its
headquarters in Barcelona, the Medi-
terranean Diet Foundation (FDM)
has been the key organization in this
transnational coordination process.
This UNESCO recognition represents
a major boost to the international
prestige of the Mediterranean Diet
and its general promotion. This has
also been the case when other
concepts have been recognized by
UNESCO as world heritage. The
move also means a huge boost for
the promotion of local agricultural
production related to Mediterranean
and avant-garde cuisine, sustainable
rural development, our landscape and
the overall environment of our region.
The Mediterranean Diet Foun-
dation was created in 1996 to
preserve a lifestyle shared by the
Mediterranean’s different peoples
for thousands of years. Scientists
have shown that this lifestyle is be-
ne?cial for our health and wellbeing.
Also, it contributes to the mainte-
nance of sustainable agriculture and
the preservation of the environment.
The main objectives of the Founda-
tion are to promote research about
the Mediterranean Diet in relation
to health issues, history, culture,
cuisine, agriculture and environmen-
tal studies, and to use the results
to promote the Mediterranean to
different population groups.
The Board of Trustees of the
Foundation’s Honorary President
is HRH Infanta Cristina and it has
the support of the main of?cial
institutions:
10.
BARCELONA
AND THE
MEDITERRANEAN
DIET
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Environment (MAGRAMA)
- Olive Communal Heritage Foun-
dation
- Barcelona City Council
- Mercabarna
- Department of Agriculture, Lives-
tock, Fisheries, Food and Natural En-
vironment (DAAM). Together with 8
companies in the foodstuff industry.
The Foundation has an internatio-
nal scienti?c committee made up
of over 23 renowned international
researchers from over 12 countries.
The main activities of the Founda-
tion include:
- School education campaigns
about food and the Mediterranean
Diet Foods
- Organization of the Barcelona
International Congress on the Medi-
terranean Diet
- The International Observatory of
the Mediterranean Diet Report.
Catalonia as an international gastronomy and
restaurant benchmark: for example, Catalonia
has more Michelin-starred eateries than any other
Spanish region:
- Restaurants with 1 star: 39
- Restaurants with 2 stars: 3
- Restaurants with 3 stars: 4
El Bulli Foundation (Ferran Adrià)
www.elbulli.com
El Celler de Can Roca
(Josep Roca, Jordi Roca and Joan Roca)
www.cellercanroca.com
El Racó de Can Fabes (Founded by Santi Santa-
maria, Àngels Serra and Xavier Pellicer)
www.canfabes.com
Sant Pau (Carme Ruscalleda)
www.ruscalleda.com
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Links
05
Universities and Research
Centres
Centre for Research in Economics
and Agricultural development
(CREDA)
www.creda.es
Centre for Animal Health Research
(CReSA)
www.cresa.es
Spanish National Research Council
(CSIC)
www.csic.edu
Centre for New Technologies and
Food Processes (CENTA)
www.centa.cat
ESADE
www.esade.edu
School of Agricultural Engineering
of Barcelona
www.esab.upc.edu
IESE
www.iese.edu
Catalan Institute of Vines and Wine
www.gencat.cat/dar/incavi
Institute for Research and
Technology (IRTA)
www.irta.cat
Laboratory of Vegetable Molecular
Genetics(Consortium CSIC-IRTA)
www.csic-irta.es
Autonomous University of
Barcelona
www.uab.es
University of Barcelona
www.ub.edu
University of Girona
www.udg.edu
University of Lleida
www.udl.es
Polytechnic University of Catalonia
www.upc.edu
Rovira i Virgili University
www.urv.cat
Local and regional agencies
22@Barcelona
www.22barcelona.com
ACC1Ó - Government of Catalonia
www.acc10.cat
Barcelona City Council
Economy, Business and
Employment Area
www.bcn.cat/barcelonabusiness
Autonomous Regional Government
of Catalonia
Department of Agriculture, Food,
Rural Action
www.gencat.cat/darp
Institute of Municipal Markets
www.mercatsbcn.com
Mercabarna
www.mercabarna.es
Barcelona Zona Franca Consortium
www.elconsorci.net
State agencies
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Environment
www.magrama.es
Business organizations
AECOC – GS1 Spain
www.aecoc.es
Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
www.cambrabcn.org
Clúster Catalonia Gourmet
www.cataloniagourmet.cat
Emporion
www.emporion.org
Barcelona trade fair
www.?rabcn.es
Mediterranean Diet Foundation
www.fdmed.org
Triptolemos Foundation
www.triptolemos.org
www.bcn.cat/barcelonabusiness
With co-?nancing
doc_932103508.pdf