Barcelona’s food markets have promoted the “Comerç Verd” program, one of the main initiatives of Barcelona World Sustainable Food Capital 2021, which represents a qualitative leap in both the volume of local, organic food from small producers that is consumed in Barcelona as in the fact that citizens have much easier access to these products. The project also seeks that the consumption of these proximity products collaborates in the reduction of the carbon footprint and in the fight against the climatic emergency, in addition to guaranteeing the viability of local and sustainable agriculture and livestock.

“Comerç Verd” is a project developed jointly by the Barcelona Municipal Market Institute (IMMB), the Commissioner for Social and Solidarity Economy and Food Policy of the Barcelona City Council and the Federation of Municipal Markets of Barcelona (FEMM), which groups together the entities of merchants of the municipal markets of the city. Both the FEMM and the food retail unions have collaborated in the definition, deployment, dissemination and monitoring of this initiative, which began work in 2019 and which began its operational phase a few months ago.

In June the pilot test was launched in six municipal markets (Concepció, Llibertat, Sarrià, Ninot, Sants and Horta) and has recently been extended to all food markets in the city. At the moment, 577 establishments have joined, representing 52.2% of the total, and work is being done to add more new additions in the coming months.

Barcelona World Capital of Sustainable Food should serve to take a great step forward in improving the diet of the people of Barcelona. To meet this objective, it is essential that citizens can easily access these products and that their distribution reaches all districts and neighborhoods. For this reason, the role of municipal markets is fundamental, as promoters of healthy eating and as a locomotive of change for the rest of the commerce of the neighborhoods where they are located.

(*) Aquest text ha estat traduït automàticament.