Les Baules is a programme that is part of Aracoop’s unique projects for the promotion of the social economy and cooperativism, and emerged from the collaboration between Nou Verd, Espigoladors and Social Business City Barcelona. It is a program to promote and support new Cooperative Projects specialized in the agri-food sector, particularly in the use of food and the management of oil waste from kitchens and workshops.

Each Catalan generates nearly 500 kg of waste per year, of which almost 7% corresponds to food waste (34.9 kg/inhabitant/year). It is necessary to achieve a smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive economy and we believe that social enterprise is an innovative tool to generate a circular and sustainable economic system that takes into account the ecological limits of the planet.

That is why Les Baules was born. The program has had 4 group training sessions on food waste, introduction and analysis of the business model, environmental and social impacts and legal forms and subsidies and a synergy session between the participating projects and experts. Among the experts were staff from the Rubricatus Foundation, the AMB, the Catalan Waste Agency, the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya, CREDA-UPC-IRTA, El Prat City Council and the Federation of Worker Cooperatives. In addition to the training sessions, the projects also have individualized advice with experts in social economy, circular economy and food waste.

Finally, participants can opt for two grants of €3,000 each to cover the share capital of the cooperative. The candidacies will be evaluated by a jury made up of representatives of the promoting entities, the public administration and experts in social economy and cooperativism. The awards will be presented in the autumn of 2019.

In this edition of Les Baules, 8 initiatives have participated in various areas that share social, environmental and food waste reduction criteria.

You can get to know them by clicking on their logos!