Organic products from Spain’s Meseta

Bioterra is a leader in Spain’s nut sector as it was the first company to produce organic nuts and dried fruits, back in 1996, as part of its mission to provide consumers with the highest quality nuts and nut products in an environmentally-sustainable way.

Their specialties include almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, dried figs, raisins, almond flour, and almond turrón. In total, 50% of production is exported, primarily to Europe.

Like most businesses in the current landscape, Bioterra is constantly evolving to meet the changing demands of consumers. According to the company, that means allergen-free and/or raw products and foods that are suitable for vegans.

According to Julio Hoyos, Head of International Sales and Business Development, “We believe that innovation is essential… And to increase sales we’re constantly revising our marketing process and testing the market with the roll out of new food projects,” all within the framework of organic production.

Recent unique additions to the line-up include toasted almond butter, dark chocolate covered Marcona almonds, almond protein, and cold-pressed Marcona almond oil.

Organic Ibérico products from free-range pigs in Spain

At Señorío de Montanera, the focus is organic Ibérico products such as ham, pork loin, and salchichón, along with conventionally-made Ibérico foods. This company is committed to organic livestock breeding and farming as a way to preserve the environment and create a completely natural product with no preservatives or additives.

Their pigs range freely in their extensive oak forests (dehesas) in Extremadura which extends over an impressive 60,000 hectares. They feed on acorns and natural herbs during the montañera season.

While the company’s wealth of expertise has been passed down from generation to generation, they also have an RDI mindset and strive to develop natural products with the PDO Dehesa de Extremadura label and use cutting-edge technology.

Sustainable Spanish olive oil-making for a century and a half

García de la Cruz, a family-run business that has been using sustainable farming techniques for the last 148 years ago, sells an extensive range of organic extra virgin olive oils, including unique products like flavored oils and Omega 3 enriched oil.

The company uses advanced agricultural techniques, such as monitored drip irrigation and fertigation; operates based on a circular economy, recycling all of its organic matter; and strives to provide a safe haven for local wildlife and flora and fauna, including many bird species.  

Spanish organic legumes and vegetables from a collaborative company

Huercasa has a popular line of organic products that includes legumes like cooked lentils and chickpeas, lentil and chickpea vegetable salads, rice, beets and corn, and beet gazpacho.

For this Segovia-based company, sustainability, solidarity, respect for the environment, and the rational use of natural resources are among its defining principles and values. It believes in its role in raising awareness about the latter and putting into practice advances in technology and innovation while collaborating in consortiums and on European Commission-funded projects.

Creative organic chocolates made in Spain from carefully-sourced ingredients

For those consumers who like their sweets made sustainably, ChocoLates Organiko offers a wide selection of products including organic chocolate bars with flavors like matcha, black pepper and orange, almond and honey, extra virgin olive oil, chili with vanilla and cinnamon, and fleur de sel from Ibiza. They also sell chocolate covered Marcona almonds, several flavored chocolate spreads made with extra virgin olive oil, and a line of premium organic chocolates. These products are ultimately produced in a small altier in Madrid.

The company’s ingredients, which are all natural and raw, are meticulously sourced from small producers who are respectful of the environment and are rigorous with the cultivation of their land.

The future of organic foods from Spain

Demand for organic products is expected to maintain the current upward trend. And while, broadly speaking, people in the 30 to 50 age range are the main consumers, millennials are jumping on the bandwagon and consumption by this group is also increasing.

Moreover, as climate change continues to leave a lasting mark around the world, with natural and health disasters affecting every part of the planet, the demand for organic products can be expected to gain even more momentum as people seek to actively reduce their environmental footprint and celebrate Mother Nature.

Text: Samara Kamenecka