BBVA supports rural SMEs and awards three Catalan initiatives

There are products that perfectly reflect the territory: a sulfite-free wine, a mountain pasture cheese, an organic oil made with regenerative criteria... Behind each one, there is a way of producing, living, and caring for the land. This essence is what BBVA wanted to recognize with the sixth edition of the Best Sustainable Producers Awards. This September, the promoters of the ten winning projects—announced in June—gathered to share experiences, present the physical awards, and highlight the transformative potential of the agri-food and rural sector.

The winners shared a discussion with chef Joan Roca and the director of Specialized Business for SMEs at BBVA in Spain, María Eugenia López, creating an inspiring space for exchange and learning about the award-winning initiatives. The meeting also highlighted the strategic role of SMEs, self-employed workers, and rural entrepreneurs in the transformation of the primary sector. In this sense, the bank, which has nearly 500 branches in areas with a strong agricultural presence, has consolidated its own value proposition to respond to the needs of the rural world: from financial support to digitalization assistance, including the promotion of sustainable practices and specialized training.

Success stories with deep roots

Among the ten projects recognized in this sixth edition, three Catalan projects clearly illustrate the diversity, innovation, and regional roots that BBVA seeks to foster. Alta Alella, with its natural sulfite-free cava, received the Extraordinary Award for Best Young Initiative for its pioneering commitment to organic viticulture and climate research. Can Font, in Gironès, was recognized for a farm-laboratory model that combines regenerative agriculture, carbon sequestration, and international training through The Regen Academy. And finally, Vinyes d'Olivardots, in Alt Empordà, was recognized for integrating biodynamics, the circular economy, and sustainable wine tourism experiences.

All three are examples of second-generation winemakers leading rural businesses. They have chosen to continue working in the countryside, but they bring new visions, alternative training, and a firm commitment to embracing innovation and sustainability.

"The success of these producers speaks to a new model of rural development, one that is fairer, more rooted, and sustainable," Roca emphasized. "The new generations are looking for projects with meaning, roots, and values: if we don't do it right, we'll be left without producers, without a landscape, without a planet," he continued. He also championed excellent products, and warned that "if we don't cook with excellence, we can't make the people who come to our restaurant happy." For his part, López underlined the bank's commitment to "supporting self-employed workers and agri-food SMEs with personalized solutions that connect sustainability and competitiveness."

The event also served as a personal opportunity for the winners' reflections. "Everything comes from a small farm in the Empordà, from families of many generations," explained Carlota Pena, representative of Vinyes d'Olivardots. "For me, agriculture and other aspects will be regenerative or they won't be," "taking care of the land, the people, and the climate." For her part, Mireia Pujol-Busquets, from Alta Alella, emphasized that "organic viticulture allows us to connect with nature and forces us to think long-term."

The other seven award-winning projects come from locations as diverse as Granada, Pontevedra, Teruel, Menorca, Cantabria, Asturias, and Alicante. They all share a common vision: the desire to transform the agri-food sector from the ground up, with sustainable practices, collaborative models, and deep roots in the community. From livestock projects that prevent fires to organic blueberries with biodegradable packaging, including local tomato varieties, short-circuit jams, or socially conscious mushroom preserves, each proposal showcases a different way of inhabiting and growing the rural world.

With 56 initiatives recognized since 2019, the BBVA Awards for Best Sustainable Producers paint a living map of talent and commitment across Spain. A way to promote, from the ground up, a more just, sustainable, and grounded future.