Sustainable gastronomy

BBVA and the owners of El Celler de Can Roca have renewed their partnership for three more years. On the 10th anniversary of the sponsorship, they are celebrating this alliance that has emerged from their shared values, and plan to continue developing new projects.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has named the Roca brothers ‘Food Heroes’ for their work promoting sustainable gastronomy. The Spanish chefs, together with BBVA, have collaborated in several sustainability projects encouraging responsible eating habits. Through the “Sembrando el futuro” (“Seeds for the future”) project, they seek to recover extinct ingredients and preserve biodiversity.

As part of the commitment shared by BBVA and El Celler de Can Roca, both organizations seek to inspire chefs throughout the world to work together to address the biodiversity challenge. As a result, organizations interested in joining this movement can form part of the ‘Seeds for the Future’ community, agreeing to abide by the following principles:

YouTube: Documentary ‘Seeds for the Future’

To carry out the project, BBVA and the Roca brothers ('Seeds for the future') relied on the work and experience of some of the world’s most important organizations specialized in biodiversity conservation.

YouTube: Documentary ‘Seeds for the Future’

Throughout the project, BBVA and the Roca brothers turned to local seed banks to retrieve extinct and forgotten crop varieties. In an effort to reclaim these foods, the Roca brothers designed a special menu to raise awareness.

YouTube: Documentary ‘Seeds for the Future’

‘Seeds for the future’ was created to encourage people to reflect on the importance of preserving biodiversity and to warn of natural resource depletion. Through a documentary that will be released in November, it will inspire consumers to adopt responsible eating habits based on the principles of proximity, quality and buying local, protecting both our health and our cultural memory. The initiative aims to fulfill the mission of BBVA and El Celler de Can Roca’s ‘Sustainable Gastronomy’ project, which seeks to guide people and provide them with tools in their transition toward a more sustainable life.

Christmas brings with it the most anticipated lunches and dinners of the year. With the intention of closing 2020 in the best of ways, the Roca brothers and 'Sustainable Gastronomy' present a culinary proposal based on seasonal ingredients from small producers. This BBVA led project is a commitment by those from Girona who want to stand alongside one of the sectors most affected by this crisis, while raising awareness of the importance of healthy cooking.

The project was created with the aim of promoting the work of farmers, ranchers, fishermen and wineries across Spain through easy and delicious recipes. Every month, the Roca brothers will select the best ingredients in season and come up with a proposal of how to cook them. Subscribers will receive a box of products in their kitchen, along with a recipe, the stories of the farmers behind the selected products and healthy advice to make the most of each ingredient. This content will be available to anyone on the ‘Sustainable gastronomy’ platform.

The term agribusiness is used to refer to economic activities derived from or connected to farm products. In other words, crop production, as well as crop processing, transportation and distribution. Agriculture and all of its economic, social and demographic derivatives… a sector that has an impact on practically all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).