A guy was handing out energy drinks at the entrance. If it weren't 9:30 in the morning, I'd definitely grab one, because at Alimentaria you know when you go in but not when you'll come out. The food fair's pavilions fill up quickly with people eager to discover this year's new products, which, I can tell you now, are all about protein. In fact, protein galore.

The agri-food sector is facing a decisive moment. The effects of climate change, the tension in international markets, and the need to guarantee food security place us before a demanding scenario that requires shared and forward-looking responses. Catalonia wants to be an active part of this response. Our agri-food system is a strategic asset for the country: it integrates the entire value chain, from the primary sector to industry, distribution, and restaurants, generating wealth, employment, and territorial cohesion. But leadership is not a destination, but a constant exercise in commitment, innovation, and collaboration.

The Alimentaria and Hostelco joint congress, dedicated to the agri-food industry, hospitality, and catering, opened its doors this Monday at the Fira de Barcelona, ​​on the very day that Brussels announced the provisional entry into force of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, a treaty that could change the food sector in the years to come. The congress, which takes place every two years, expects around 110,000 attendees, according to organizers last week. It would surpass both the Mobile World Congress and Integrated Systems Europe in visitors. (ISE), currently the two trade fairs with the highest visitor numbers held in Barcelona. However, unlike these two congresses, where the majority of attendees come from abroad, Alimentaria has a majority of visitors (approximately three out of four) from within Spain.

This Monday, March 23, and running until March 26, 2026, the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona will host an edition marked by the 50th anniversary of Alimentaria, created in 1976 as the first major professional trade fair in Spain dedicated exclusively to the food industry. Fifty years later, the event, together with Hostelco, will bring together its offerings in 100,000 m² spread across seven pavilions, with 3,300 participating companies. Alimentaria+Hostelco is taking a leap forward in internationalization this year. With more than 1,200 companies from 70 countries, it has broken its record, increasing the number of companies from outside Spain by 30% and the space they occupy by 40% compared to the last edition, now representing 36% of the total. Europe (with Poland as Country of Honor), Latin America, and North America have a strong business presence, reinforcing the trade fair's strategic importance as a meeting point for the global food industry.

The Alimentaria and Hostelco trade fair for the agri-food, restaurant, and hospitality industries will increase the number of exhibitors this year compared to the last edition and expects to reach 110,000 visitors, organizers announced on Thursday. With this figure, the event would surpass the total number of visitors to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) and ISE, the two most attended events held this year at Fira de Barcelona. The congress, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, will be held next week at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona, ​​in Hospitalet de Llobregat. In total, it will occupy seven pavilions with an area of ​​100,000 square meters. Organizers have highlighted the international nature of the event. "It will be by far the most international Alimentaria in history," declared Antoni Llorens, president of the trade fair, at the press conference presenting the congress this Thursday. "A congress comes of age when an international visitor comes to visit an international exhibitor, because borders are transcended," added Pere Taberner, president of Hostelco. In total, some 3,300 companies will participate in the 2026 edition, 1,200 of which are from abroad. Thus, the number of exhibitors from outside Spain represents a 30 percent increase compared to the previous edition, although the increase in exhibition space occupied by international companies will be 40 percent.

New movements in the calendar of congresses of the city of Barcelona. The Fira de Barcelona has postponed the two major shows it had planned for May: Alimentaria, the most important event for the organisation after the Mobile World Congress, will be held in April 2022, after it was cancelled last year and was scheduled for this spring. The Automobile, on the other hand, will continue this year, but will be held two months later than usual, from 8 to 18 July.