Some 250 professionals, between major distribution representatives and fruit and vegetable suppliers from across Spain, gathered at the 12th AECOC Fruit and Vegetable Congresses, held in Valencia on 29 and 30 June.
Barcelona City Council’s Economic Promotion Department, through the private municipal company 22@Barcelona, has set up an initiative known as “Barcelona Fresh” with the aim of reinforcing competitiveness in one of the city’s strategic sectors, that of fresh foods.
Frimercat, the cold storage service company in which Central Fish Market companies have a controlling stake, has had a new chair as of July.
Intense. This is how Ana Sancho describes the three months she has been at the helm of the Food Bank. The economic downturn shows no end in sight and this non-profit foundation –which collects surplus food products, to distribute them to the needy people around us– sees how, day by day, the food demand only increases. For this reason, the solidarity of companies such as those of Mercabarna is fundamental.
How often have you wondered what to do with the clothing you no longer use but you feel bad about throwing away because it’s still good as new? The humanitarian organisation Humana, which has had clothing drop-off containers in Mercabarna since 2007 (next to the florist’s in the commercial area), offers a good alternative for making supportive use of such garments.
The Interactive Fish Centre (CIP) is now up and running. 200 people attended the official opening of this pioneering museum space on 14 June, which follows the journey fish and seafood take from the moment they are caught to when they reach consumers’ tables, as well as the health benefits to be had from their consumption. This groundbreaking project, located in the Central Fish Market, is promoted by the Wholesale Dealers’ Association (GMP) with the collaboration of Mercabarna, and has involved the investment of 600,000 euros.
Mercabarna, the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Dealers (AGEM) and the Food Bank launched a campaign a year ago for businesses in the Central Fruit and Vegetable Market to encourage them to donate excess fresh produce. The goal was to help the Bank deal with the huge rise in demand for food for the needy that arose when the economic downturn began.
Mercabarna has opened a provisional car park next to entrance K to the precinct in order to facilitate parking in the area where construction work on the Multiservice II building and development of the space that formerly housed the Flower Market are going on.
The first stone of the future House of Agriculture, a facility that will serve as a meeting point for agricultural cooperatives and associations and which also aspires to become a forum for the dissemination of the opinions of Catalan farmers, was laid on 28 May.
The Government of Catalonia, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Municipal Markets Institute organised the 1st Municipal Markets of Catalonia Congress on 17 May, which drew associations of vendors, technicians and food professionals, including Mercabarna management.
