Luis Planas says the Government is promoting three important strategies to consolidate Spain as a food power

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, during his speech at the XI Food&Drink Summit

The minister inaugurated the XI Food&Drink Summit, organised by the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Industries (FIAB), which is conceived as a space for analysis and exchange of knowledge to boost the agro-industrial sector.

Along these lines, he assured that the Government's objective to boost the agri-food sector is centred on three strategies: the National Food Strategy, the future Law on the prevention of food losses and food waste, and the promotion of "Food from Spain".

The aim of these initiatives is to contribute to the transition towards more sustainable, profitable and competitive food sectors, to avoid wasting food and natural resources, and to reinforce the policy of promoting Food from Spain, especially abroad.

Planas encouraged the food industry to contribute to the development of the future National Food Strategy, which he said was "very simple and very ambitious", and will be launched in the coming weeks. "We are laying the future foundations of our country's food supply and we need the commitment and effort of the entire food chain," he said.

Preparatory work on the National Food Strategy will be completed in June, followed by the launch of the participatory fora and public consultation. The approach will be aligned with the debate on sustainable food systems, and with the legislative proposal the European Commission is expected to present in its new mandate.

With regard to the law against waste, currently in parliamentary procedure, he expressed his conviction that it will be a law that will have the broadest possible consensus. He called for a commitment from parliamentary groups, the food chain as a whole and society to act against food waste, because "the most expensive food is the one that ends up in the rubbish bin".

A strong and adaptable food industry

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food highlighted the strength of the Spanish food industry and its capacity to adapt to the continuous changes brought about by new global challenges, aware that it is necessary to make a commitment to continuous adaptation. Planas also highlighted its importance for the rural environment, where a large part of its companies are located, as well as its economic contribution. The food industry business had grown to €168 billion by 2022, up 18%, generating 552,000 jobs.

Luis Planas stressed that the agri-food sector is at the heart of the Government's priorities, which also occupy a prominent place on the European and global agenda to achieve open strategic autonomy.

The sector is also supported by EU and state funds. He made special reference to the Government's "magnificent negotiation", which has allowed for the largest amount of additional European funds to be deployed through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

A total of €183 million has already been granted to 292 projects under the first call of the strategic project for agri-food recovery and economic transformation (Perte). This week, the second call for €100 million to support investments in the food industry was launched for public consultation.

A call for proposals for the fishing and aquaculture industry will also be published with a budget of €40 million to be managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, also within the agri-food package.

Non official translation