The acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, said that the kitchen plays a fundamental role in achieving sustainable development and the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.
Luis Planas has participated in the presentation of the report "Gastronomy in the Spanish economy, economic impact of the associated sectors", published by the company KPMG, in which gastronomy is addressed as a value chain that starts from agriculture, livestock and fishing, and continues through the food industry, trade and distribution, until reaching the consumer through restoration and gastronomic tourism.
For the minister, the quality and excellence of this chain, together with the effort of the men and women of each link, make Spanish cuisine one of the essential elements of the positive image of Spain in the world.
During the presentation, Planas highlighted the interest of this study on Spanish cuisine, which goes beyond numbers, since it is related to intangible values such as culture, traditions, health and quality of life.
As has been pointed out, Spanish cuisine has excellent products and raw materials, as well as safe and varied foods, with high quality standards. Precisely, Spain has 348 figures of differentiated quality, with an economic value of almost 7,000 million euros.
In addition, the agri-food sector is strategic for the Spanish economy, as it provides a gross added value of more than 107,000 million euros. It accounts for almost 11% of GDP, exports for a value greater than 50,000 million euros and reaches a level of direct and indirect employment of more than 2.7 million people.
Spanish cuisine, recognized for its quality in the international arena, is an "endorsement" of everything that is the agri-food system and is key to strengthening the export capacity of the industry, besides playing an important role to put in value that tradition , prestige and good work that part of the rural territory.
Planas has explained that, to promote a healthy diet, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food promotes the Food Strategy of Spain. Within this framework, awareness-raising campaigns have been launched among the youth to bring the values of the Mediterranean Diet closer to the youngest segments of the population.
Gastronomy and sustainability
The minister stressed that consumers are increasingly interested in the acquisition of products produced in a sustainable manner, an aspect that will mark the future of gastronomy.
In this sense, Spain is a European leader in the production and export of organic food, with more than two million hectares of organic farming and 41,000 operators. He has highlighted the interest in this productive model, in which exports have "very high profit margins".
Therefore, Planas believes that the kitchen plays a fundamental role to achieve sustainable development and the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, since it contributes to achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.