Sixteen fruit and vegetable producers are to distribute their produce directly to seven retailers at six city markets through a logistics centre managed by the Exchange Centre for Local Produce (CIAP). This is the start of the Terra Pagesa pilot project, an initiative by the Union of Farmers in collaboration with Barcelona City Council.

The Terra Pagesa project comes within the context of the city’s status as the world sustainable food capital. It has been conceived so the city can help local producers sell locally, with a change to the food model underpinned by stronger farming in Catalonia, support for neighbourhood commerce, quality food, guaranteed origin of produce and environmental and territorial sustainability.

The Terra Pagesa project will last three months, after which the idea is to develop the project further in 2022 at the Biomarket at Mercabarna. The Union of Farmers has nearly a hundred producers who have expressed an interest in participating in the short distribution channel in the next stage of the project, which could be broadened to include other products such as oil, dairy products, dried fruit and nuts, eggs, wine and honey.

The Terra Pagesa website works as a centre for interaction between producers and buyers so that orders can be placed. To guarantee the origin of the products, end consumers can use a QR code at the sales point to see which farmer has produced it.