Economia Social i Solidària

From 15 to 29 December, Plaça de Catalunya will host the 9^th edition of the Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair, with 62 organisations offering products and activities promoting conscious and local consumption.

Now that Christmas is coming, it’s time to celebrate local, conscientious consumption, responsible clothing and sustainable food and to keep local and social criteria in mind when shopping for a good gift. Christmas is the time for the social economy to shine!

All year long, responsible consumption and the social and solidarity economy offer products, activities and services that we can incorporate into areas of our daily lives, such as energy, finance, food, housing, culture and mobility, among others. Why not embrace them at Christmas as well?

The Fair features 32 stands (16 booths, 12 tents, a textile market and a sustainable food market) with 62 initiatives, plus the Responsible Consumption Space, with a wide range of handicrafts, clothing and other textile accessories, culture, books, packaged foods, toys and other small gift items. You can go to the Fair’s website to find detailed information about participating organisations, the layout and the calendar of activities.

If you want to know when to visit the 9^th Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair, check out the following schedule:

• From 15 to 29 December: 11.00 am to 8.30 pm:
  • On 15, 18, 19, 20 and 21 December: The Fair will be open to the public at 4.00 pm.
• On 24 December: The Fair will close to the public at 6.00 pm.
• The Fair will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25 and 26 December).

The Fair’s four spaces

The Fair is divided into four different spaces. From the entrance at the Francesc Macià monument, you can find, from left to right, the responsible textile market; the responsible consumption hub, with the Sphere, the workshop space and the information and awareness tent; the area with booths and tents for purchasing local and socially responsible gifts; and the sustainable food market.

Learn about the social and solidarity economy and responsible consumption

The Responsible Consumption Hub includes the Responsible Consumption Space (ECR), a municipal service specialising in promoting responsible consumption.  This is the ECR’s way of once again getting involved with the Fair and raising awareness amongst city residents by engaging visitors and organising different activities (most of them with social return initiatives offered by the organisations participating in the Fair).

The Responsible Consumption Hub includes the ECR information booth, the responsible consumption sphere (with a play area, creative space with paint and other materials, space for reading and learning about the topic and a collaborative mural) and the workshop space, where the different activities will take place.

A new feature this year is the responsible consumption game, with a wheel that encourages participants to answer questions and solve challenges related to the Fair and its values (whether by discovering an organisation, having fun with a photo backdrop, adding a letter to the collaborative mural, etc.) or make resolutions to incorporate responsible consumption this coming 2024.  To further encourage participation and interaction with the organisations at the Fair, those who participate in the game will get a little prize, some of which will be gift cards or discount vouchers from the Fair’s participating organisations. As in previous years, responsible consumption values will be highlighted, with each business showcasing the three main values they incorporate in their work.

The Goals of the Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair

All nine editions of the Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair have shared the following general goals:

• Offer businesses, organisations and Social and Solidarity Economy initiatives a central location such as the Plaça de Catalunya that allows them to:
  • Highlight the work and the goals of these businesses and organisations, including the Fair’s involvement in projects through third-sector associations that work with people in vulnerable situations, whether as a result of disability or other circumstances.
  • Showcase the diversity within the Social and Solidarity Economy: cooperatives, associations, foundations and other business models.
  • Offer city residents responsible products for Christmas shopping.
  • Provide a source of revenue to support participating businesses and organisations
  • Commit to direct social return during the Fair or other points throughout the year, with specific initiatives that increase the public’s understanding of responsible consumption and the social and solidarity economy.
• Show city residents the responsible consumption and social and solidarity economy options available not just for Christmas, but all year round, especially to meet the needs of daily life. This information is provided directly by the organisations and businesses themselves and is reinforced through the Responsible Consumption Space information booth and activities.
• Offer awareness-raising activities for families at the Sphere and through the workshops.
• Beyond the diversity of products, the Fair highlights two major areas, clothing and food, where responsible consumption options have a major impact on much-needed shifts towards social and environmental sustainability.