Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

The second and final dialogue for this year looks at activism, farming and community, on 13 July.

Heading up the main road from Sarrià to Vallvidrera gradually reveals a spectacular aerial view of Barcelona. Evening sunsets in the summer enhance these views by adding picturesque colours. After a number of bends in the road, in the heart of Collserola, the Can Calopa country house appears with its vines and olive trees. Amid the greenery of fields and woodlands, the “Diàlegs a l’Era de Can Calopa” discussions offer a chance to really see the city with perspective, reflect on its food model and highlight the social and transformational value of farming.

It’s 29 June and the first session in this third edition of the cycle is being held. A few minutes before 7 pm, some 50 people make their way through the gates of the property, into the courtyard where tables, chairs and microphones have been set up. With a glass of “Vinyes trobades” wine, produced by the Olivera cooperative, we listen to an explanation of this project which, together with Espai Consum Responsable, the Barcelona Strategic Metropolitan Plan (PEMB), the Joint Office for Sustainable Food and Alimentem Collserola, are organising today’s session which looks at craft food projects and social inclusion. The cooperative is actually an exemplary ambassador, having spent over 40 years helping towards the personal and social integration of people with disabilities through assistance, therapy, education and labour opportunities in agriculture.

Food crafts and social inclusion

“We want social agriculture to be understood as a multi-disciplinary sector, more than just food production”. With this declaration of intent, Martí Monfort, a member of L’Olivera, contextualises and introduces the discussion which is about to start. The speakers are Jorge Medina from Cuina Justa (Fundació Cassià Just), Dolors Clotas from Conreu Sereny and Albert Moreno from Esimperfect (Espigoladors).

All the agri-food projects present today combine personal promotion, independence and the socio-occupational integration of individuals in vulnerable situations as they prepare original and quality products. This idiosyncrasy is the focus for today’s session: How to be competitive in the market while maintaining a social goal?

The example of Esimperfect

The first to respond is Albert Moreno, who explains Esimperfect. This Fundació Espigoladors initiative links environmental sustainability goals with the use of locally grown fruit and vegetables unable to be sold commercially as they are imperfect. These are used to make vegetable pates, jams and fruit sauces, with the social and labour insertion of people at risk of social exclusion. “We try to be competitive simply by offering quality products, but we clearly don’t have the resources of large companies to reach everywhere. That means we have to set ourselves apart by explaining how we do things through networking with circles in the social and solidarity economy, but the goal is to reach people who do not form part of this circuit”, explains Moreno.

Conreu Sereny, social and environmental respect

For her part, Dolors Clotas from Conreu Sereny explains that respect for the social and environmental setting is something that this agri-food cooperative will not renounce. The project began in 2010, cultivating unused land next to the Monestir de Sant Jeroni de la Murtra and the Masia Coll in Badalona’s Canyet neighbourhood, in the Serralada de Marina Natural Park. “We all have an agricultural background”, she notes, to assert that “the public administration needs to get more involved in order to facilitate the work of agri-food projects which, at the same time, promote local consumption that the green revolution has done away with over the years”.

Cuina Justa, committed customer base

In this respect, Cuina Justa explain how they have a loyal customer base which understand and accept the price they pay for their produce. For 27 years now, this Fundació Cassià Just initiative has been making products from food grown in the Cal Tudela allotments, in the Baix Llobregat Agricultural Park, and running a catering service which offers job opportunities to people with disabilities. “While it’s true that we might have some shortcomings in production efficiency, social and labour insertion is essential to our project and this vision is shared by many people who empathise with what we do and back us precisely because of it. Either way, the quality of the product is essential for us to keep going over the years”, explains Jorge Medina.

Social inclusion as a consumption value

The conversation continues until the sun has all but disappeared and the lights in the old threshing yard are turned on. At that point it’s time for contributions from the people who have been listening to the guest projects. “We know we have to eat healthy and sustainable food for the planet, but we need to be more aware and back projects that promote social inclusion as a consumer value in itself, besides continuing to work on combating food waste and ensuring the right to healthy food for all”, is a reflection that sums up the essence of today’s gathering.

Next session on 13 July

“Activism, farming and community” is the title for the second discussion on 13 July, to explain the self-organisation of local residents in the Barcelona metropolitan area who promote alternative production and consumption models against the current predominant food model which respects neither people not the planet. Keras Buti, Ruralitzem and Can Pujades will be the guest projects for you to discover during another summer evening in the heart of Collserola.