The Roca brothers, named 'Food Heroes' by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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.
Every year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) names those persons who work towards maintaining the food chain safe as “Food Heroes”. These are the people who are responsible for producing, planting, harvesting, fishing or transporting food, ensuring that affordable, safe and nutritious food is available to people around the world.
This year, the FAO has awarded this title to Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca, brothers who, for many years have been advocating the benefits of a sustainable diet, consuming seasonal and local products. “Restaurants are key players in the sustainability of the planet, not only because of the direct impact of what we do, but also because of what we represent when it comes to raising awareness in our area,” says Joan Roca.
Under this philosophy, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Celler de Can Roca, in collaboration with BBVA, launched Sustainable Gastronomy. Through this project they seek to achieve the sustainability of entrepreneurship and resources, as well as to make the best raw materials and recipes of the brothers available to the public.
The extinction of natural resources and the concern for the preservation of biodiversity led them to undertake a new project with BBVA in order to recover the flavors and extinct foods through a documentary entitled ‘Seeds for the Future’.
Joan Roca will participate in the second edition of the World Junior Food Day to be held on October 14 at 2 p.m. (CEST) in Rome, where he will speak about this project to an audience of children and young people from different parts of the world.
Since 2013, El Celler de Can Roca and BBVA have been working together to create initiatives that generate a positive impact and promote economic, social and environmental balance. This adventure is a story with shared values: responsibility, innovation, commitment, globality, leadership and determination. Both seek to accompany people in their evolution towards a sustainable life.