Sustainable Food

The 2024 Barcelona Gastronomic Forum will be taking place from 4 to 6 November at the Fira de Barcelona exhibition centre (Montjuïc), and is all set to be one of the key events for professionals in the gastronomic sector. With a clear focus on innovation, sustainability and culinary creativity, the forum aims to be at the epicentre of new ideas and trends that will transform the future of cooking.

Chefs, food companies, restaurateurs and experts will be sharing their visions of how ecology, technology and new consumer habits can redefine gastronomy in the 21st century.

Sustainability will be one of the fundamental cornerstones of the event, and a subject that Barcelona City Council will be addressing through the Urban Food Policy Section, as well as organising the Aula Mercat Barcelona in collaboration with the Joint Office for Sustainable Food (OCAS) and Slow food Barcelona.

This space at the fair will feature various activities, with the participation of prestigious chefs, livestock farmers, farming professionals and fisherwomen, who will be cooking live and debating the present and future of sustainable gastronomy and biodiversity, as well as reflecting on the importance of bringing the rural and urban spheres closer together in order to transform the food system.

Furthermore, at the Aula Barcelona, you’ll also be able to find different local and organic producers from the Barcelona metropolitan area who’ll be showcasing their products.

Day 1: With Maria Nicolau and Quim Caselles

Monday 4 November will kick off in the morning with a session led by chef Maria Nicolau, who’ll be taking a look at the process of bringing sustainable agricultural production into urban homes. Juancho Martini from the Fat Veggies restaurant will then be talking about the effects of climate change on gastronomy, together with local producers.

In the afternoon, the team from the Teòric Taverna Gastronòmica i Safrà del Montsec will be talking about local Catalan cuisine, and finally there will be a showcooking session with a focus on sustainable fishing featuring Quim Casellas, a chef whose restaurant Casamar de Llafranc has been awarded a Sol Repsol, and Cristina Caparrós from La Platjeta.

Day 2: Local products, the circular economy and Marc Ribas

The next day, the focus will be on the role of restaurants and urban sustainability. Small producers from Barcelona will be sharing their projects and presenting their products, and CETT students will be bringing about a transformation by cooking them.

Another session will explore the circular economy in the restaurant industry, with people from Espai Puntal in the La Ribera neighbourhood, and Diego Waehner from the Abono km0 Association. 

There will also be a debate on the use of legumes as sustainable proteins, with the participation of Nani Moré, chef Pere Carrió from the restaurant Gat Blau, and others. 

To end the day, there’ll be a showcooking session with chef and culinary alchemist Marc Ribas, who’s changed the focus of his Taverna del Ciri in Terrassa in favour of a dynamic menu that’s far more in tune with the land and the seasons.

Day 3: Resilience, zero waste and social inclusion

Wednesday 6 November will begin with a focus on gastronomic resilience and innovation in a constantly changing urban environment. Marc Pérez from the La Sosenga restaurant will be talking about how to maintain a sustainable restaurant in the face of pressure from tourism. He’ll be joined by Andreu Casals from Som Boletaires, Cristina Caparrós from La Platjeta, and by the La Sosenga team who’ll be showcooking in the kitchen.

Next, the Aula’s kitchen will be in the hands of the team from La Balmesina, with the showcooking ‘Pizza: from a global dish to a local one’. And finally, chef Laura Veraguas and Fran Baixas demonstrate how the zero waste philosophy can be applied to modern cuisine. 

This year’s edition will end with a reflection on food as a tool for social inclusion from the Mescladís Foundation and the Escola ESADE, led by chef Jordi Herrera.