Speaking this morning at the Alimentaria fair, the President of the Government of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès i Garcia, underscored the significance of Catalonia being named World Region of Gastronomy for 2025, stating that it presents “a unique opportunity to showcase the excellence of our products, cuisine, our nation and our food industry”.

Catalonia will thus become the first European region to receive this distinction, an acknowledgement that the head of the Catalan Government assured the country receives with “responsibility” and one that has been granted to us “because we have been able to showcase Catalan cuisine worldwide”. “The World Region of Gastronomy 2025 must also serve as an incentive for us to reaffirm our model and the gastronomic values ​​that have brought us to this point,” said the president, while stressing that “the excellence of our gastronomy is the result of the work we have done so well throughout the entire value chain”.

In this respect, President Aragonès called for “recognition” for all the collectives that are involved in this chain and, especially, “for all of us to make a commitment to them so that they can all earn a dignified livelihood commensurate with the product and the work they do, from primary sector producers to product processors, research and innovation centres, and ultimately to retailers”. “Because they are all absolutely essential in enabling us to come this far and, above all, to ensure a great future for the sector,” he added.

Aragonès assured that Alimentaria “will once again allow us to underscore Catalonia’s leadership in the field of food and gastronomy” and to share with the rest of the world “our agri-food production, our products and also the admiration generated by Catalan cuisine”.

“It is a very good day to recognise the sector and highlight its importance for the country as a whole,” said the president who, in addition to vindicating its role in feeding the country, also highlighted its economic importance. “It is a sector that employs 177,000 people in our country, that represents 19% of gross domestic product and that plays a key role in the structure of Catalonia as a whole. Therefore, it is a source of pride for the country,” he stated.