The Prodeca Forum maps the international perception of Catalan agri-food products and sets the sector's future agenda

On Tuesday the Prodeca Forum brought together more than 200 professionals from the Catalan agri-food business sector for a day of strategic reflection marked by the presentation of a study on the international positioning of Catalan products. The event, organised by Prodeca, a public company of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, was held at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya under the theme "Growing in a changing world".

A space to anticipate the future and exchange strategies

The day included high-level talks with leading voices from the sector, such as Enric Tardio (Innova Market Insights), who analysed global consumption trends; Laura Gil (Kantar Worldpanel), on growth and segmentation strategies; and Xavier Lamote de Grignon (Bexperience), who explored the use of artificial intelligence in marketing. The closing talk was given by oenologist Sara Pérez (Mas Martinet), with an inspiring talk on sustainability and territory.

A key study for understanding how Catalan products are seen worldwide

One of the Forum's highlights was the presentation of the study "The importer's perspective on the positioning and perception of Catalan products worldwide", produced by Prodeca from surveys of more than 100 importers in 19 countries. The research shows that Catalan products are perceived internationally as synonymous with quality, tradition and traceability, scoring similarly to or better than European products on attributes such as origin, packaging and innovation.

The analysis notes, among other things, that wine, olive oil, cured meats and sparkling wines are the best-known and most purchased products, and that almost half of importers consider Catalan products to have a stronger tradition or origin than European ones. On the other hand, price remains a significant barrier, but differentiation and quality give Catalan companies a real competitive advantage in international markets.

The study was presented by Marc Oliveras, head of Prodeca's Knowledge and Strategy Area, and was complemented by a round table featuring Cristina Serradell (ACCIÓ), Susanna Barquin (Prodeca) and consultants specialising in the Asian, LATAM, US and Middle Eastern markets — Sofia Zapata, Daniel Pedraza, Andrés Herrera and Eduardo Peña. The debate highlighted the need to build a solid, differentiated positioning for Catalan products, beyond the shared values of the European label. 

It was also noted that aspects such as quality or tradition are no longer enough to compete, and that attributes such as innovation, the creativity associated with the Barcelona brand and adaptation to each market must be pursued. The importance of a coherent, focused, long-term narrative was stressed, as was developing commercial strategies adapted to each country's reality. Each company's individual responsibility to offer flexibility, added value and export experience was also underlined. Finally, both Prodeca and ACCIÓ championed coordination between public bodies, stronger support for companies and structuring overseas promotion initiatives with a strategic vision.

The closing remarks were given by the Secretary General for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Cristina Massot, who stressed the importance of spaces such as the Prodeca Forum for inspiring, reflecting collectively and defining the narrative with which we want to present our products in international markets. Massot defended the need for professional gatherings that help a sector strategic for Catalonia advance in a structured way, and underlined the institutional commitment to supporting companies on the path to adding value, listening to markets and building long-term relationships.

Internationalisation, sustainability and connection: the axes for moving forward

The Forum put on the table the strategic priorities of the Catalan agri-food system: improving international positioning, embedding sustainability and circularity across the value chain, attracting and retaining talent, ensuring generational renewal and fostering technological innovation. It also made clear the need to rethink collectively how we present ourselves in markets: with what narrative, what distinctive values and what clear, shared proposition we want to take Catalan products to the world.

As Prodeca's director noted, Dèlia Perpiñà, "the Prodeca Forum is a space to stop, observe and project, to rethink collectively how we want to sell our products, with what narrative and what distinctive proposition — and to do it together, from the sector and from the institutions". She called for a shared strategy to sustain the export effort, champion the distinctiveness of Catalan food and build long-term business relationships based on trust, knowledge and actively listening to markets.

With these lines of action Prodeca reaffirms itself as a public tool serving the sector's competitiveness, providing market intelligence tools, international support and connection platforms such as the Forum. In short, professional meeting spaces that help a sector that is today one of Catalonia's economic engines advance in a structured way.

A space for real connection between companies and sector players

During the networking lunch that followed, companies and sector players had the chance to share projects and identify synergies in a collaborative setting. This informal yet highly strategic space has become an essential meeting point for making new connections, exploring new avenues of collaboration and translating the day's strategic reflections into relationships. The Prodeca Forum thus also consolidates its role as a catalyst for connections that can turn into concrete projects and shared value for the whole Catalan agri-food system.

The Catalan Food Business Forum takes over

International promotion does not stop, and on 4 and 5 June the Teatre Nacional will host the Catalan Food Business Forum, the international business event organised by Prodeca , which will connect 90 Catalan companies with more than 100 international buyers from 23 countries. With more than 3,000 B2B meetings scheduled, the forum is structured in three sector spaces (Meat, Fine Food and Wine) and is a unique opportunity to boost exports and consolidate global business partnerships.

This double event, Forum and Business Forum, comes within Catalonia's recognition as World Region of Gastronomy 2025 and strengthens Prodeca's role as a driving force for transformation, connection and international projection of the Catalan agri-food sector.