10th Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair
The tenth edition of the Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair is being held to show that the practice of responsible consumption is possible at Christmas and all year round. From 19 to 29 December in Plaça Catalunya.
At the Fair, you’ll find high-quality products and services made with the values of responsible consumption and the social and solidarity economy. It is also an opportunity to bring visibility to and strengthen companies and organisations in the SSE and the work they do to meet the everyday needs of people, companies and organisations.
Approximately sixty businesses and organisations are set to take part in this year’s fair, offering crafts, clothing and other textile accessories, as well as culture, books, packaged foods, cosmetics, games and other small gift items.
The fair will also be offering awareness-raising family activities, along with a specialised information space on responsible consumption options and the SSE.
Calendar and timetable of the Fair
From 19 to 29 December: 11 am to 8.30 pm in Plaça Catalunya.
19 December: The Fair will open to the public at 4 pm.
24 December: The Fair will close to the public at 6 pm.
The Fair will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25 and 26 December 2024)
What will you find there?
The Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair is divided into three spaces:
- The Responsible Consumption Agora -with the Sphere, the workshop space and the information and knowledge marquee.
- The main Fair area - with 32 booths where you can purchase local and social items that make great gifts.
- The 3 sustainable food marquees - with 3 initiatives.
Therefore, you will find a wide range of crafts, clothing and other textile accessories, as well as culture, books, packaged food, toys and other small gifts.
The Responsible Consumption Agora: Play, create and transform
The Responsible Consumption Agora includes the Responsible Consumption Space (RCS) and the Responsible Consumption Sphere, with a play area, a creative space with paint and other materials, an area for reading and learning about the topic and a collaborative mural, as well as the workshop space, where the different activities will take place.
The Responsible Consumption Space (RCS), a city service specialising in dissemination, is one again dedicated to raising awareness among the public, encouraging visitors and organising the activities offered there, most of them with social return initiatives provided by the participants.
To further encourage participation and interaction with the organisations at the Fair, those who participate in the game will get a small gift from the participating organisations, including gift cards or discount vouchers, that can be redeemed at the Fair.
To mark the tenth anniversary of the event, participants in the game will be given pouches containing easy-to-plant seeds for different edible or decorative plants or vegetables. They symbolise the Fair’s ten editions that have planted the seeds of change towards more responsible consumption via the social and solidarity economy.
This year, too, the Fair as a whole will answer the question: How do we consume? To do so, materials made by the Solidarity Economy Network that answer the question, which had previously been posed at the Festival FESC, will be located around the Responsible Consumption Sphere.
SSE Fair and RCS: from ideas to action to foster transformative consumption options
Since December 2015, the Fair has provided businesses, organisations and SSE initiatives a central location, Plaça de Catalunya, with the aim of:
- Highlighting the work and the goals of these businesses and organisations, including participation in the projects of third social sector associations that work with people in vulnerable situations, with diverse abilities or other circumstances.
- Showcasing the diversity within the SSE: cooperatives, associations, foundations and other business models.
- Earning income for the participating companies and organisations: to contribute to their economic solidity and visibility. The companies and organisations, in turn, undertake to provide a direct social return during the Fair or other times of year with a commitment that is implemented through specific actions that raise the public’s awareness of responsible consumption and the social and solidarity economy.
Happy 10th Fair! Ten editions proposing changes!
At the same time, we want the people who come to the Fair to be aware that they have the power to change their consumption and easily adopt more responsible and sustainable habits. In fact, they are the true drivers of transformation. This is why in this space they’ll find:
- Products for Christmas made with responsible consumption in mind that convey the importance of knowing the origin of the products we consume and how these everyday acts can contribute to a fairer and more sustainable future. Aside from the diversity of products, the Fair highlights two major types: clothing and food, where there are responsible consumption options that have a major impact on the much-needed shifts towards social and environmental sustainability
- Responsible consumption and social and solidarity economy options available not just for Christmas but all year round, especially to meet the needs of everyday life.
- Awareness-raising activities for families via the activities scheduled in the specific spaces in the Sphere and workshops.
