Sustainable Food

The ‘Reimagine your food consumption’ forum held on 29 October in the Bloc4BCN cooperative space brought together organisations, experts and public administration representatives to debate the challenges of the current food system and alternatives to work towards fairer and more sustainable models.

The forum, promoted by eco-union and Opcions with the support of 2024 ‘Impulsem el que fas’ aid from Barcelona City Council via Barcelona Activa, began with the presentation of the report entitled ‘Reimagine your food consumption’ by Mireia Bosch, head of contents at Opcions. The document provides an informative summary that sheds light on the impact of the agroindustrial model and the potential of local initiatives. It served as a springboard for the subsequent panel discussion.

In her talk, Mireia Bosch clearly stated the current contradiction: ‘While food systems are essential for life, the current global model has become unsustainable both ecologically and humanly because it puts profit over the right to food’.

To reverse this trend, the report identifies three key spheres of action: citizen consumption, public policies and alternative economies rooted in agroecology. Bosch summarised the purpose of the report in her proposal to ‘reimagine food consumption as a tool for collective change, stressing the interdependence among people, land and ecosystem’.

Global challenges and local alternatives 

The panel discussion, moderated by Mireia Bosch, brought together four prominent voices who addressed the food system from complementary vantage points: academic, institutional, cooperative and citizenry.

The researcher Marta Rivera Ferre, a member of INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), contextualised the evolution in the agroindustrial model by highlighting three turning points throughout history: the privatisation of seeds, the Green Revolution and the liberalisation of global trade. Rivera asserted that these changes have exacerbated inequalities and environmental impacts: ‘The food system is responsible for one-third of global emissions’. She also noted that responsibilities cannot solely be delegated to consumers; instead ‘structural transformations and bold policies are needed’.

Public policy as a driver of change

Lidón Martrat from the Joint Office for Sustainable Food (OCAS), promoted by the Government of Catalonia with Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan, underscored that towns can promote real changes through public procurement and transversal governance.

She highlighted examples like the inclusion of proximity criteria in school menus and support for cooperative logistics networks. ‘Public procurement is an instrument that can transform the demand and give producers stability’, she claimed.

Agroecology and citizen activism as responses

Anna Fernández from the Agroecological Tool Library described the logistical and economic difficulties that farmers face, as well as the collective solutions that are emerging. Shared logistics nodes, collaborations among cooperatives and distribution initiatives like Som Ecologística and La Diligència are just some examples which, she said, ‘prove that agroecological consumption can be feasible if the demand and institutional support are bolstered’.

In turn, Eva Vilaseca from the Catalan Assembly for the Ecosocial Transition (ACTE) focused on social mobilisation and stated that guaranteeing the right to food is a ‘political, not individual, matter’. She also highlighted the Food Sovereignty Pact as a tool to exert pressure and articulate alliances.

Open debate and proposals for moving forward

The proposals that emerged during the debate were grouped into three main spheres of action. The first is public policies, which include working towards more sustainable taxation, regulatory coherence among public administrations, responsible public procurement and the guarantee of food rights.

The second is economic alternatives aimed at enhancing agroecological production, improving logistics, giving producers more visibility and promoting shared infrastructures.

The third sphere is citizens and consumption, with actions aimed at fostering mindful consumption, lowering dependence on large shopping centres and collectively organising to combat inequalities and ‘food deserts’.

The forum ended with a tasting of fair-trade chocolate led by Oikocrèdit, which also served as an opportunity to share impressions and enhanced the idea that mindful consumption can also be pleasurable. The forum made it clear that the food transition is a shared challenge.