García Tejerina praises the Alimentaria 2018 model as a world reference fair

The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, highlighted the full support of her Department for the renewal of the Alimentaria 2018 model, which implies more integration, greater openness to the outside world and more innovation. García Tejerina made these statements on the occasion of the closing ceremony of the presentation of the International Food, Beverage & Food Service Exhibition, held on February 28th at MAPAMA headquarters. A fair whose success, as the minister has indicated, is demonstrated by its more than 4,500 exhibiting companies from 70 countries, the participation of some 150,000 professionals (30% are international) and the nearly 12,500 business meetings scheduled.

During the presentation, which was attended by the president of the Board of Directors of Fira de Barcelona, ​​the general director of Alimentaria Exhibitions and the general secretary of Agriculture and Food, García Tejerina highlighted the fact that Alimentaria has consolidated itself as “the most extraordinary showcase for our food and beverage industry “, capable of competing with the best.

García Tejerina has pointed out the contribution of Alimentaria to the internationalization of the agri-food industry, as well as the promotion of innovation and gastronomic quality

The three “I”

The minister recalled that the Government, since 2012, has boosted within the agri-food sector lines of action related to Integration, Internationalization and Innovation, with actions such as the law of the food chain, the promotion of measures for the promotion of integration of cooperatives or the increase of quality, through the updating of standards of hundreds of food products.

García Tejerina has pointed out that the Government works decisively in the field of internationalization, through an Interministerial Working Group that acts as a coordinating unit of all actions that affect the image of agriculture and Spanish industry abroad

In this area of ​​internationalization, the minister grants an essential role to the fairs and the promotion of the Foods of Spain through European programs. Specifically, Spain is the second European country in perception of funds and currently has underway 10 programs “that will carry all over the world our olive oils, beef, pork, sheep and goat, Iberian products and game, vinegar and cider”. In this context, García Tejerina has highlighted the Wine Information and Promotion Programs in Third Countries, with a budget of 50 million euros per year.

As stressed, the effectiveness of these actions has contributed to reach the figure of more than 50,000 million euros of agro-food exports in 2017, with an increase of 50% over the 2011 data, with a positive balance of more than 12,000 million euros. euros

The Minister also referred to the Government’s activity related to R + D + i, with measures such as the elaboration of the National Program of Innovation and Agri-Food and Forestry Research, or the creation of a Digitalization and Big Data Focus Group, which it is defining some Strategic Lines on which the Digitization Agenda for the Agrifood Sector and the Rural Environment will be written.

The Ministry promotes the Program for Excellence in Food Quality and is designing the Global Strategic Plan for the Agrifood System, Horizon 2030, which includes a chapter on policies that affect the agri-food industry

In relation to the agri-food sector, the Minister has highlighted the “Food of Spain” Strategy, whose objective is to position our agricultural sector and the food industry as benchmarks for the production of quality, varied, safe foods and in accordance with the European Production Model, with special reference to the foods that make up the Mediterranean Diet and those of differentiated quality.

As has been reiterated, Spanish food is the basis of our Promotion Strategy, which in the internal market has as its cornerstone the Mediterranean Diet, with campaigns such as “Mediterraneamos” and “Cultura Mediterránea”, in addition to the application in Spain of the Schools of distribution of fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy, of the European Union, which have an annual budget for our country of 19.2 million euros.

Finally, García Tejerina has announced that at the stand of the Ministry with ICEX in Alimentaria 2018 acts of support to associations, Regulatory Councils of PDO and PGI, the National Program of Conservation, Improvement and Development of livestock breeds and their Logo “100% Autochthonous Race”. In the same way, activities will be developed for the promotion of sport and physical activity, as a complement to the Mediterranean Diet.

Source: MAPAMA