SenValos’ participation in the Collective Restoration Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (PDE) promoted by the Paideia Galiza Foundation and the Juana de Vega Foundation has been an opportunity to send a clear message: the transition towards responsible collective catering in Galicia will only make sense if, at the same time, we strengthen the agroecological fabric and open up space for the labour inclusion and entrepreneurship of migrants.
At the round table of experts on organic production, SenValos brought this dual perspective to the table: territory and decent employment; ecological transition and social justice; healthy menus and life projects that take root in Galicia.
A PDE to rethink collective catering in terms of territory
PDEs are participatory workshops in which government, businesses, social organisations, research centres and other key players come together to identify challenges and business opportunities linked to the Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3). In this case, the PDE focused on how to promote collective catering – both public and private – that incorporates criteria of circularity, ecology and sustainability, and opens up new business opportunities in Galicia.
This PDE is part of Paideia’s Circular Challenge project, which works to support innovation and the circular economy in small Galician businesses, covering different productive sectors.
What we took away from the presentation by the Juana de Vega Foundation
The initial presentation by the Juana de Vega Foundation, entitled ‘Responsible collective catering: how to achieve it and overcome obstacles’ (5 November 2025), clearly outlined both the urgency and the potential for transformation that collective catering has in Galicia.
Some key ideas that invite action
- The food system is at the heart of major challenges: around 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food; a third of food ends up in the bin; and millions of deaths each year are linked to unhealthy diets.
- Galicia is a region with enormous agricultural potential, but it has been neglected: some 300,000 hectares of usable agricultural land have been lost since 1985 and some 500,000 hectares with good productive capacity are underused, with the consequent increase in the risk of large fires and the disappearance of agroforestry mosaics.
- There is a high degree of external dependence on agri-food imports, especially for fruit, vegetables, potatoes and cereals. However, by recovering around 146,000 hectares of farmland, this dependence could be reduced by approximately 30% and progress made towards greater food sovereignty.
- Organic production in Galicia is growing, but it is still far from reaching its potential: some 43,000 hectares (6–7% of the UAA), mainly pastureland, with very little organic land dedicated to fruit, vegetables, potatoes and cereals that actually feed collective canteens.
- The regulatory framework is pushing in the right direction: the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy promote sustainable public food procurement. In Spain, annual spending on public food procurement is estimated at around €2.5 billion, which should become a lever for change towards healthier and more circular food systems.
- The new Royal Decree 315/2025 on school menus sets minimum criteria for nutritional quality and sustainability: daily fruit and vegetables, a minimum amount of seasonal produce, increased consumption of legumes and fish, and the mandatory introduction of organic produce, with plans to extend these criteria to hospitals and care homes.
- Galicia also has a new Food Quality Law (1/2024), which protects the quality, traceability and sustainability of Galician food products, and a law that incorporates the product life cycle as an evaluation criterion in public procurement.
- School canteens are a decisive lever: there are 616 canteens and almost 77,000 diners, with more than 100,000 meals served every day in Galicia, but most of the concessions are in the hands of large companies based outside the region, which makes it difficult for small local producers to enter the market.
- There are already inspiring examples that show it is possible: the municipal network of canteens in Ames, the EoAlimenta bioregion and Inditex’s sustainable corporate catering, as well as the ‘Ecocomedores da Biosfera’ in Mariñas Coruñesas and Terras do Mandeo, with an association of organic producers (ECOAGRA), training for kitchens and digital tools for marketing.
- The main barriers are systemic: tenders designed for large batches, award criteria dominated by price, lack of logistics platforms, disconnect between supply and demand, and weakness of small farms in processing and marketing.
- The solution lies in coordinating the entire value chain: local production, logistics, responsible purchasing, collective cooking and education for conscious consumption, working in a coordinated manner between administrations, companies, producers, cooks and social entities.
This analysis is fully in line with SenValos’ own mission: if land and value chains are not managed with social and ecological criteria, abandonment, precariousness and inequality will become entrenched.
SenValos’ contribution: agroecology and inclusion of migrants
At the PDE’s organic production table, SenValos has given a voice to those who are often left out of these conversations: migrants who are already supporting part of the food system, both in the countryside and in the restaurant industry, yet continue to face more barriers than opportunities.
Our commitment focuses on several areas:
- Supporting Galicia’s agroecological production network
- Supporting small farms in their professionalisation and connection with collective catering channels.
- Promoting partnerships between producers, school canteens, catering companies and local authorities, so that public and collective purchasing prioritises organic and locally sourced products.
- Facilitating the incorporation of migrants into this productive fabric
- Designing job placement programmes that combine training in agroecology, sustainable cooking and cross-cutting skills with real labour needs in rural areas and the catering industry.
- Promoting practices, contracts and social support that encourage workers to put down roots in the region, preventing migrant labour from being condemned to temporary and precarious employment.
- Promoting entrepreneurship with social and environmental impact
- Supporting projects led by migrants in areas such as organic production, food processing and catering, helping these businesses to connect with local supply chains and responsible collective catering initiatives.
The message is simple: if we are going to redesign the menus that feed thousands of children, elderly people and workers every day, let’s take advantage of this effort to create decent jobs, diversify the business fabric and turn cultural diversity into an asset for the region.
From menus to life projects: next stop, Territorio Emprende
This vision will continue to take shape this weekend at the Territorio Emprende – Retiro Semente I: “O fogón e a foliada das alianzas” (Entrepreneurial Territory – Semente I Retreat: “The bonfire and the celebration of alliances”) event, organised by the Paideia Foundation. The retreat will take place at the Casa Rural A Casa Antiga do Monte rural guest house in Lestrobe (A Coruña), a space designed to combine reflection, coexistence and the design of impactful projects.
As part of the programme, on Saturday 29 November, the round table discussion ‘Inspiring Experience: Entrepreneurship with Impact’ will put a face and voice to this commitment to diverse entrepreneurship rooted in the region. Two migrant entrepreneurs supported by SenValos will share their experiences:
- Marina, a Venezuelan agricultural innovator involved in agroecological production, is demonstrating that it is possible to combine technical knowledge, sustainable practices and an intercultural approach to food.
- Mamadou, a Senegalese entrepreneur who runs the Faramaren restaurant, which incorporates local produce and gastronomic offerings that bring other cultures closer to the Galician palate, generating employment and revitalising the area.
This round table, moderated by sociologist and consultant Luisa Gallego, is part of a conference that also includes a co-creation ideas laboratory, film forum spaces on territory and sustainable future, and a collective closing ceremony of commitments.
Towards collective restoration that transforms territory and biographies
SenValos’ participation in the Collective Restoration PDE and Territorio Emprende is not an isolated event, but rather another step in a long-term strategy:
- Linking the fight against rural depopulation and the risk of fires with the creation of decent jobs in the countryside and restoration.
- Leverage the enormous volume of menus in collective dining halls as a tool to promote local organic production.
- Ensure that migrants are included on equal terms in this ecological transition, whether through employment or entrepreneurship.
If you work in local government, a school canteen, a catering company or an agroecological farm, now is the time to ask yourself what role you can play. Every tender, every menu, every small supply agreement can be another piece in a fairer, more sustainable and inclusive Galician food system.
At SenValos, we will continue to focus on this: ensuring that every menu counts, and that every person who wants to build their life in Galicia can do so by contributing to a vibrant, diverse region with a bright future.
