Cooperative El Brot, more than three decades by fostering "critical" consumption of food

Nowadays, terms like agroecology seem us of the most usual. Three decades backwards, the possibility to set up a cooperative that boosted sustainable agriculture sustained by the own community, could baffle to more than one/to. However, in the case of the Cooperative The Brot, with headquarters in Reus (Tarragona), the things were simpler of what at first sight could seem. Like this it explains it to us Carme Pagès, president of the same: “In a principle, there was worry by the existence and vicinity of the petrochemical of Tarragona and the nuclear head office of Vandellós. To the need to consume healthy foods and frescos of the zone, basically of Reus and of the Camp of Tarragona, began to think in how optimise transports, in doing circulate information on possible producers and providers, began to organise informative talks on agroecology…And like this, with the help of people of confidence, a thing carried to the another...”. In 1987, The Brot formalised like cooperative, to legal level, although his origins trace back to the year 1979. The way that initiated this cooperative, the first of this type in Spain, followed it other organisations of people consumers of ecological products, like The Rebost SCCL (Gironinginga) and Germinal SCCL (Barcelona). Since, the production, distribution and consumption of products of crop agroecológico has purchased greater proportions, even in the zone of influence of The Brot. “At present, in the central market of Reus there are two stops where sell foods bioecológicos. It does not like us speak of competition. What interests us is that this consumption extend and spread and, of course, contribute to keep the vicinity of the territory facilitating the access to local products”, explains Carme Pagès.

To measure that advance by the corridors of the Cooperative, his president, Carme Pagès, us desgrana the keys of a project in which it involves beside other mates, of voluntary form, and that paginates with other occupations. “I would say that the strong point of The Brot keep on being the products of feeding, those of daily consumption. In these moments, so much our partners, more than a hundred in the actuality, as any customer that go through our establishment, although to a more economic price for the first, can choose between articles very diverse, like footwear, cosmetic or cleaning of the home”. In this regard, it calls the attention the commercialisation of ecological detergents and even foods like flour or legumes to granel, or the garrafas of oil of extra virgin olive arbequina of big format. “At the beginning, we sold mainly vegetable, fruit and vegetable of quality ecobiológica, that now renew twice by week. In these moments, the foods that sell to granel (cereals, rice, flour) are those that more exit have between our customers”.

In his 96 m², the Cooperative The Brot commercialises from cool products (fruit, vegetables, vegetables, eggs and dairy), stored in display units refrigerated or in a specific camera for commodity hortofrutícola, to dry products (tubers, legumes, cereals, dry and drunk fruit) and, finally, a wide range of elaborated that includes juices, oils, preserves, jams, chocolate, coffee, infusions, cheeses, precooked products, pasta of soup, biscuits, flour and bread. “It does a year and half, request some credits valued in 100.000 euros to do several reforms in the venue. We install the two cameras with which explain in the actuality, one to conserve flours, legumes and products to granel and the another, for fruit and vegetables. Of the total of the budget, invest 70.000 in both cameras”.

With its activity, since the Brot support selective development of organic farming, without GMOs, facilitating the conversion to this type of production and closer collaboration between producers and consumers, preferably of the Camp de Tarragona and Reus season productions. A purpose that strengthens the cohesion and food sovereignty in its scope. Yet they also resort to suppliers of the rest of Catalonia and even some parts of the country. But their mission does not end here. In the words of Carme Pagès, from the cooperative urges "critical" food consumption: "Beyond will offer products without herbicides, a zero pollution." We are looking for are nearby. It cannot be that you cost us more lettuce the transport itself. I.e., how much more local it chain better. And also that there should be as few middlemen as possible, so that everyone receives a fair price for what that produces. "Finally, we find the example and sell a varied range of products in bulk, with minimum packaging and in line with our philosophy."