Catalunya exports food and beverages to more than 200 markets around the world every year. From Penedès wines and cavas to olive oil, meat products, and value-added gastronomic specialties, Catalan agri-food has carved out a niche in international markets and has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy. But the global map is changing. Geopolitical tensions, new regulatory requirements, the reconfiguration of logistics chains, and the emergence of new markets are forcing companies to rethink their internationalization strategies.
Given this complex scenario, exporting is no longer just a growth opportunity. For many companies, it has become a necessity to diversify risks, reach new customers, and maintain their competitiveness in international markets. Catalunya, in this context, aims to consolidate itself as one of the great agri-food hubs of Southern Europe, leveraging the strength of its business fabric, its productive capacity, and strategic infrastructures such as the Port de Barcelona.
This new global scenario poses new challenges, but also new opportunities for the sector. How should this new international scenario be approached? What opportunities are opening up for Catalan products in markets such as Asia, the Middle East, Africa, or Latin America? And what assets can help Catalunya improve its international positioning? These will be some of the questions addressed in the next session of Eixample Talks, a series of meetings organized by Pimec and The New Barcelona Post where the public and private sectors debate the country's major challenges. Under the title From Catalunya to the World: The New Rules of Agri-food Export, the session will take place on Friday, July 3, at 9:30 AM at the Pimec headquarters (Viladomat, 174, Barcelona). Seating is limited and prior registration through this link is required.
The event is part of a series focused on addressing social, economic, and urban challenges of the city from both public and private perspectives, with the aim of fostering dialogue and collaboration among the different actors in the ecosystem. Like the rest of the Eixample Talks encounters, the session will be developed in a transmedia format, with in-person attendance and subsequent video-podcast dissemination. The series, promoted by Pimec and The New Barcelona Post, also has the collaboration of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Port de Barcelona, Aena and Mustmedia and, in this session, also Prodeca.
The day will kick off with an inaugural presentation by Fernando Ortega, a specialist in business strategy and internationalization. Drawing from his experience advising companies and organizations in international expansion processes, he will offer a snapshot of the current global scenario and the trends that are redefining agri-food trade.
After this introductory overview, the session will delve into the keys to agri-food internationalization through a round table that will bring together representatives of some of the main agents of the Catalan export ecosystem. The debate, moderated by the director of The New Barcelona Post, Elena Busquets, will feature the participation of Dèlia Perpiñà, CEO of Prodeca; Marta Vidal, CEO of Vallformosa; Olga Salvador, head of clients and refrigerated traffic at the Port de Barcelona; and David Coll, president of the Agri-food sector of Pimec.
Through their complementary experiences and visions, the participants will address issues such as the need to diversify markets to reduce risks and gain stability in an increasingly complex geopolitical context, the strategies that allow opening and consolidating new international markets, and the role played by logistical infrastructures, external promotion, and business alliances in this process.
The conversation will also focus on how the Catalan export model is evolving in an increasingly competitive context. It is no longer enough to produce: it is also necessary to know how to explain the origin of the products, their uniqueness, and their value to consumers who seek experiences and identity.
At a time when exporting has ceased to be a specific opportunity to become a structural lever for competitiveness, innovation and business resilience, understanding the new rules of international trade is more important than ever. The next session of Eixample Talks will offer an opportunity to analyze these changes, share experiences and debate how Catalonia can strengthen its role as a major agri-food platform in Southern Europe and as a gateway for its products to global markets.