The 1st Edible Cities Conference brings together municipalities from across the country to promote urban gleaning
A meeting place to share challenges, learnings and opportunities related to the use of urban fruits.
January 29th, we celebrated the 1st Edible Cities Conference , an event promoted by Espigoladors that It brought together municipalities that have joined the Edible Cities community . The event provided a space to share experiences, discuss impacts and lessons learned, and, above all, to collectively reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by utilizing the fruits of urban trees in our towns and cities.
Throughout the morning, municipalities such as Reus, El Prat de Llobregat, San Boi de Llobregat, Torredembarra, Cornellá de Llobregat, San Juan Despí, Premià de Mar and Barcelona They shared their journey, in a day that combined technical content, debate, a tasting and a visit to the production center of es im-perfect.
Shared experiences and future challenges for edible cities:
The day began with the project presentation Urban(eat)a: Edible Cities , by Espigoladors, reviews its beginnings in Barcelona in 2021, with the first urban gleaning events. A pilot project funded by Singulars allowed for the testing of various products, identifying bitter orange, olives, and carob as fruits with great transformation potential, while continuing to seek new opportunities.
The project has three main axes: The project focused on the collection and repurposing of urban fruits, food processing, and raising public awareness through gleaning and workshops . The diversity of recovered fruits—blackberries, pears, lemons, loquats—was highlighted, as well as the need for continued research to expand processing possibilities.
During the day, the participating municipalities They explained how they have adapted the project to their own context : harvesting formats, workshops, transformed products, and awareness-raising strategies. The participants demonstrated that urban waste management can be adapted to diverse local realities and function as a tool for social cohesion, extending beyond simply harvesting crops.
The legal challenges of urban gleaning:
One of the central points of the day was the space dedicated to the Legal challenges of gleaning in urban areas , presented by Meritxell Martínez (INSTA). This session presented the conclusions of a report on the legal framework for urban gleaning, with an analysis of national, regional, and European regulations, as well as other existing experiences.
Key issues such as food safety, volunteer involvement, product traceability, marketing, and related procedures were addressed. As was made clear, the unique and novel nature of urban gleaning raises questions but also presents opportunities to develop frameworks adapted to this reality.
A tasting to discover and a visit to imagine the future:
The day also included a A tasting of products from the Edible Cities network featured a breakfast made from urban tree fruits processed in the participating municipalities. This event provided an opportunity not only to sample the products but also to share ideas, recipes, and new ways to use them.
Finally, we closed the day with a A visit to the es im-perfect workshop , where attendees were able to see firsthand the production center and explore future possibilities in the transformation of products from urban gleaning.
We continue to expand edible cities:
The 1st Edible Cities Conference It was a very enriching meeting that confirms the growing interest of municipalities in rethinking the management of urban trees and move towards more resilient, circular, and socially transformative models. Sharing this journey with several municipalities allows us to adapt, innovate, and imagine new formats, groups, and possible uses.
From Espigoladors, we leave with a very positive assessment and with the will to continue working hand in hand with the municipalities, expanding the network of Edible Cities and consolidating urban waste as a key tool against food waste and in favor of more vibrant, connected and edible cities.
An initiative supported by funding from The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation.