Sustainability tops agenda at Gastronomic Forum Barcelona

Food is always a big deal in Catalonia, whether it is local festivals centered on a humble vegetable, or avant-garde cuisine gaining global recognition.

But this week marks one of the standout dates in the culinary calendar: Gastronomic Forum Barcelona.

Taking place at Fira Barcelona's Montjuïc venue from October 18-20, this year's edition is focused on the challenge of sustainability, tying in with Barcelona's status as World Sustainable Food Capital 2021.

Aimed at professionals working in the food, restaurant and hospitality sectors, Gastronomic Forum Barcelona brings together more than 300 companies and 100 speakers, including 60 chefs with a total of 46 Michelin stars between them.

As well as making sustainability the "central theme of all its activities", the fair features small artisan producers of local and so-called Km0 products.

Food Innovation

As you might expect from a land known for culinary innovation, there are all kinds of weird and wonderful gourmet items on display.

One example are 'Drops', a collaboration between high-end food manufacturer Caviaroli and world-renowned chef Albert Adrià, formerly of El Bulli. This ready-to-eat "classic aperitif of molecular cuisine" consists of little green spheres that look like olives, but that burst in your mouth releasing olive juice with a touch of chili.

There is also tomato powder as a savory snack and edible spoons made of oats, seen as one solution to cutting down on plastic waste. Traditional products given a twist include pasta – made of lentils, pâté – made from roosters from the Penedès region, and wine – served in a can.

Thanks to the latest easing of coronavirus measures in Catalonia, the event is able to go ahead at pre-pandemic capacity levels, with a total of 6,000m2 of commercial exhibition space, nearly 4,000m2 for more than 70 various activities, a gastronomic conference area and the Forum Lab innovation area, which takes place in collaboration with Barcelona World Sustainable Food Capital 2021.