Ametller Origen is a family-run company that has been cultivating and caring for its land since 1830. Today, as a result of this extensive experience as farmers and producers, the company has grown into a large enterprise dedicated to the production and distribution of food products. It operates over 140 stores across Catalonia, where customers can find mainly fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables, and high-quality prepared foods.
The Agroparc
Committed to environmental care and public health, the company has initiated various projects aimed at promoting changes in the current food system. In recent years, it has been working on some of its most ambitious undertakings: Agroparc Penedès and Agroparc Mont-Roig.
The first, Agroparc Penedès, will be the first circular agro-industrial district where agriculture, livestock, and food processing will be integrated into a single space. Meanwhile, Agroparc Mont-Roig, currently in an early design phase, will cover approximately 50 hectares of highly technical greenhouses for producing horticultural products and will host several RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) initiatives. Both projects will also incorporate renewable energy production to ensure maximum efficiency and circularity in the process.
Ilustration of the Agroparc Penedès. Source: Atmetller Origen
Bioboost’s Role
Given the unique characteristics of these two projects, it is clear they are strategic initiatives intended to spearhead the promotion of an alternative food model in which bioeconomy plays a crucial role. While both projects have a very solid conceptual foundation, there are some barriers to their implementation. This is where Bioboost comes in.
Bioboost’s role within the Agroparc focuses on three main areas: 1) Evaluating alternative funding sources to support the different investment phases; 2) Assessing cross-cutting aspects such as the use and valorisation of secondary resources and the generation of renewable energy; and 3) Providing a more systemic approach to maximise benefits for both the company and the region, as well as improving public acceptance of the project.
Regarding the first area, the various activities Bioboost is carrying out to increase collaboration with the financial community will play a key role in providing tailored solutions for the project. Concerning the second, biological resources available in the region are being assessed, along with those that other regional stakeholders might contribute, to identify the best valorisation strategy. In relation to the third, the team is engaging with various local actors who could collaborate, either directly or indirectly, to find synergies and maximise impact.
The importance of identifying systemic barriers
Additionally, all barriers encountered by the Ametller Origen team in implementing the project are being evaluated. Identifying the main obstacles when driving projects of this kind helps to define systemic solutions, allowing future bioeconomy projects to face fewer barriers, thus reducing investment risk. Bioboost’s Accelerator will continue to work to ensure more projects like these become a reality.
