We finalize the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan with the Department of Agriculture
At Tandem Social, we work every day to make social and environmental transformation possible from the ground up. In 2026, we completed a high-impact support process that lasted an entire year: the development of the Strategic Plan for the Prevention of Food Loss and Waste in Catalonia 2026–2030 (PEPPMAC).
We carried out this key process alongside the Sustainable Food and Food Recovery Area of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Catalonia. And we did not do it alone: true to our belief that intercooperation multiplies impact, we worked hand in hand with Espigoladors, a leading organization with recognized expertise in this field.
A global challenge
Food waste is one of the major social, economic, and environmental challenges of our time. This project is based on a clear premise: in the face of the more than 260,000 tons of food wasted every year in our territory, it is not enough to address the consequences; we needed to transform the system from the ground up. In response to this reality and to Law 3/2020 on the prevention of food loss and waste, the Government of Catalonia needed a decisive, participatory, and transformative action plan.
We took on a co-leadership role in this process, understanding consultancy not as an actor that dictates the path from above, but as one that works closely alongside public administrations and the sector to build their own solutions. We acted as a bridge between public administration, the Third Sector, and the different stakeholders across the agri-food chain to design a cross-cutting, consensus-based roadmap that engages all of us in our everyday actions.
From diagnosis to collective action
The development of this Strategic Plan was structured over twelve intensive months of work, divided into four complementary stages:
The process began with the Diagnosis Phase, where we carried out an in-depth technical and participatory assessment with representatives from all stages of the food supply chain to identify where system gaps occur and determine the main challenges to address. Subsequently, during the Strategic Framework Phase, we designed the key lines of action and structural levers for change through participatory regional sessions across Catalonia.
The final stage focused on the Operational Framework and Action Plan, where we translated and validated the final actions in practical terms, defining their respective timelines, responsibilities, and evaluation indicators.
Cross-cutting actions that impact our daily lives
Thanks to the richness of this co-creation process, the new Strategic Plan is not a theoretical document, but an operational roadmap built around key cross-cutting areas to achieve real change:
- Prevention and Recovery: Proposals to improve planning at the source, encourage innovation in the agri-food sector, strengthen distribution channels for human consumption, and reinforce the role of the Third Sector.
- Research, Innovation, and Regulatory Framework: Generating new applied knowledge and improving regulatory monitoring while promoting sustainable and green public procurement.
- Awareness, Education, and Coordination: Integrating food waste prevention into formal and non-formal education, raising public awareness, and strengthening the overall governance of the food ecosystem.
We conclude this support process grateful for the trust placed in us by the Department of Agriculture. The completion of this project is not an ending, but the starting point of a new stage with great transformative potential. Initiatives like this show us that by combining strategic vision and collaborative action, we are laying the foundations for a fairer, more conscious, inclusive, and sustainable Catalonia.
