Catalonia’s agri-food industry generates €58 billion in turnover and accounts for 18% of GDP

The agri-food sector generates a turnover of €57.981 billion, equivalent to 18.3% of Catalonia’s GDP. It is therefore the most important sector of Catalonia’s manufacturing industry in terms of both revenue and employment, employing 177,383 people. These figures come from the study ‘The agri-food sector in Catalonia’, prepared by Catalonia Trade & Investment, the agency for business growth belonging to the Ministry for Business and Labour, and Prodeca, the public company promoting Catalan food products of the Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda.

The agri-food sector in Catalonia is structured around three main areas. Firstly, the primary sector includes nearly 50,000 agricultural, livestock, and fishing operations, generating €6.369 billion in turnover and employing almost 50,000 people. Secondly, the core of the sector lies in the food and beverage industry, made up of 3,690 companies that account for €40.333 billion in sales and employ more than 98,700 people. Finally, the sector is completed by the auxiliary industry directly linked to it, which includes 987 companies generating nearly €11.3 billion in turnover and employing around 29,000 people.

The study highlights that this is a mature sector, as 63% of companies in the agri-food industry in Catalonia – that is, those in the food and beverage industry and the auxiliary industry – were established more than 10 years ago. Regarding the main segments, the report notes that within the food and beverage industry, the largest contributors to turnover are meat products (33% of the total), followed by animal feed (17%) and fish, vegetables, and oils (13.4%).

The report also refers to emerging companies, noting that Catalonia is home to 158 agri-food startups that together generate €175 million in turnover. According to the study, the number of startups in the agri-food sector has increased by 32% over the past five years (2021–2025), and the city of Barcelona ranks as the leading startup ecosystem in southern Europe, according to StartupBlink.

Finally, the study highlights the emerging field of alternative protein, which in Catalonia already includes 105 companies generating €436 million in turnover and employing nearly 1,000 people. The report underlines the presence of companies such as Heura, Novameat, Zyrcular Foods, and Libre Foods.

Record exports

Another aspect addressed by the report is the sector’s export potential. In 2025, Catalonia’s agri-food sector reached a record level of exports, with products valued at €16.903 billion, an increase of 7.5% compared to the previous year. Catalonia has a base of more than 3,200 regular exporting companies in this sector and once again ranks as Spain’s leading agri-food exporting region (22% of the total), ahead of Andalusia.

Fine food multiproducts (38% of the total) represent the largest export category, followed by meat and sausages (31%), fruit and vegetables (9%), vegetable oils (6.5%), and wine (3%).

Catalonia, a benchmark for attracting agri-food investment

The strength of Catalonia’s agri-food sector is also driving the attraction of foreign direct investment, facilitating the establishment of major international players in the region. Between 2021 and 2025, 38 foreign investment projects attracted €772 million (43% more than in the 2016–2020 period) and created more than 2,800 jobs. By country, Germany was the main investor, followed by France, the United States, Switzerland, and Belgium.

During the same period, Catalonia ranked as the third region in the European Union in terms of the number of foreign investment projects, attracting 3.9% of total capital investment and 3.8% of jobs created. In the past five years, international companies such as Danone, Nestlé, Aldi, Haribo, Schwarz, and Carrefour have invested in Catalonia.

Beyond its economic impact, the study also identifies key factors behind Catalonia’s international attractiveness in this sector, such as proximity to markets and clients, a strong technological and innovation ecosystem, and Government support. In this regard, the importance of international trade fairs such as Alimentaria is highlighted, along with the presence of leading agri-food and gastronomic research centers such as IRTA.

Future agri-food trends

Finally, the study outlines global trends and the main challenges facing the sector. It highlights trends such as sustainable food, driven by consumers aware of the environmental impact of products; healthy foods, reflecting new challenges related to diet and nutrition; and foods for pleasure, which focus on enjoyable gastronomic experiences. At the same time, it underlines the role of advanced technologies in the sector, centered on digitalization, automation, and sustainability.

Government support for the sector within Alimentaria

The Alimentaria trade fair begins today, celebrating its 50th anniversary in Barcelona with the aim of boosting internationalization and innovation in the sector. From 23 to 26 March, more than 3,000 exhibitors will take part in this international food, beverage, and food service event.

This year, the Government, through Catalonia Trade & Investment, will support some ten Catalan companies and entities related to alternative protein at their stands in the Catalonia Pavilion. At this stand, the agency will also promote a range of business activities as part of the event.

One of the initiatives organized by ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment is the Open Innovation Challenge, a format of fast business meetings where companies and startups can offer innovative solutions to technological challenges presented by companies such as Frit Ravich, Ametller Origen, Grup Cacaolat, Borges, and Fruselva, among others. These organizations will seek solutions for projects related to the revalorization of industrial by-products, the search for new natural ingredients, water management in production processes, the reduction of food waste, and innovative packaging solutions. In parallel, Catalonia Trade & Investment will also promote the Tech Meetings, a series of sessions where companies in the food sector can meet experts from the Digital Innovation Hub of Catalonia to discover and validate new digital technologies to innovate in their activity.

In addition to meetings and networking, several business events of interest to the sector will take place at the Catalonia Pavilion, such as the presentation of the study ‘The agri-food sector in Catalonia’, in collaboration with Prodeca. The presentation will provide an overview of the Catalan agri-food sector in the global and European context, as well as key innovation trends and international food and beverage trade. The stand will also host a pitch session by exhibiting companies, an international business session on the future of agri-food trade with the United Kingdom, a disruptive coffee session with VEGGA and Heura Foods, a workshop on access to European R&D funding opportunities in the sector, and a session on hybridization in agri-food clusters.

Additionally, in this edition, ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment and IRTA will jointly promote the Food & Hospitality Startups Arena, a new space featuring various activities to foster entrepreneurship and innovation among startups. On the final day of the fair, the stand will host Startups to Funding (S2F), a series of 10-minute speed dating interviews where foodtech startups seeking capital can network with investors.