Baix Llobregat Tomato Living Lab
Join the Tomato Living Lab in the Baix Lobregat region:
- Co-creation of agri-food supply chain alternatives
- Networking between key stakeholders
- Training and capacity building workshops
- Data and analysis of the sector
Latest Activities And Updates
Presentation on the impact of proximity certifications on consumer preferences at Agrotech
July 2024. LAB4SUPPLY participated in the 2nd Agrotech Open Day, organized by the Unversitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Viladecans. CREDA presented the study of the impact of direct sales certifications and short channel on consumer preferences.
Round table on the Sustainability in the Tomato Value Chain. Balancing between producer benefits and consumer prices
May 2024. Round table on tomato production and commercialisation:
- Presentation by Zein Kallas (CREDA), Coordinator of the Project and Moderator
- Importance of local tomato varieties in Catalonia.
By Anna Rivera, Foundation Miquel Agustí (FMA) - Quantification of the losses and food waste in the horticulture sector. By Amelia Sarroca, Center for Agrofood Economics and Development (CREDA)
- Effect of objective information and narrative in the acceptance of genetically modified tomatoes (CRISPR) by the consumers. By Djamel Rahmani, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC)
Third Focus group on the tomato value chain in Castelldefels
March 2024. Focus Group held in the Barcelona School of Agri-Food and Biosystems Engineering (Castelldefels, Barcelona). Last meeting with stakeholders to share the outcomes of the Living Lab and explore future ways of collaboration.
Video Capsule #7: Núria Carazo (UPC). How can research improve tomato production?
March 2024. Núria Carazo is a professor of plant production at the School of Agri-Food and Biosystems Engineering of the UPC. In this video she explains why tomato is given so much importance in agri-food research. And it is not for lack of projects: from commercial, sensory and postharvest quality improvement to research in development.
Video Capsule #6: Dr. Pérez Mesa (Almería University) – The tomato production in Almería
February 2024. Joan Carlos Pérez Mesa is a Professor at the University of Almería. Member of the Business Organization Area and specialist in the Almeria orchard. In this video, he summarizes the development of tomato production in Almeria, its main challenges in competitiveness, and the need for adaptation of the sector.
Video Capsule #4: Joan Casals (FMA/UPC) on the Germplasm Bank of Fundació Miquel Agustí
February 2024. Joan Casals is the scientific director of the Fundació Miquel Agustí, a research team on traditional Catalan agricultural varieties. In this video, he explains the services of the germplasm bank of the FMA/UPC: a library of fitogenetic resources at the service of farmers.
Video Capsule #3: Biological pest control with Macrolophus Pigmeus
January 2024. Martina Cubí is a technician of the Federació d’Agrupacions de Defensa Vegetal Selmar. In this video, she shows a case of success in the biological pest control: from whiteflies to Macrolophus. How can we control the whitefly with ecological methods? How can tobaco plants can help with pest control? What is the value of reservoir margins?
Video Capsule #2: Management and control of tuta absoluta in tomato crops
January 2024. Martina Cubí is a technician of the Federació d’Agrupacions de Defensa Vegetal Selmar. In this video she explains the “Management and control of tuta absoluta in tomato”, considered the main pest of tomatoes. How to identify it? How to deal with the pest? How does sexual confusion work? Can we use natural enemies?
Video Capsule #1: Intervention at the Horticultural Congress on Commercialization
December 2023. Intervention by Professor Zein Kallas during the session dedicated to commercialization as part of the First Horticultural Congress of Catalunya, organized by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and RuralCat – Generalitat de Catalunya (Constantí, October 25, 2023). “FACTORS DETERMINING THE ADOPTION OF INNOVATIONS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR“
Second Focus group on the tomato value chain in Castelldefels
December 2023. Focus Group held in CREDA’s premises (Castelldefels, Barcelona). Once again different stakeholders have discussed the distribution problems of the tomato value chain and focused on the potential solutions agreed by all the actors involved.
#LAB4SUPPLY participation at the XXVII “Jornada de l’Horta” at Santa Susanna (El Maresme, Catalunya, Spain)
November 2023. Zein Kallas presented the project and discussed the impact on the sustainability of the horticultural sector during the Horticultural Congress in Santa Susanna – organised by IRTA (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentària) and the Santa Susanna Town Council.
Seminar on the use of the Living Lab to students of the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo (Mexico)
October 2023. In the framework of the visit of students of economic and administrative sciences from the Autonomous University of Chapingo, Mexico, the LAB4SUPPLY team gave a lecture on the use of the Living Lab as a tool to achieve more sustainable agri-food value chains, illustrating it with the case of the tomato value chain. The Seminar was held in the UPC (EEABB) premises.
“Festa del Tomàquet” in Viladecans, Barcelona
September 2023. During the tomato festival organized by the City Council of Viladecans and Casa Ametller, LAB4SUPPLY has led the workshop “Research space: come and taste tomatoes” to investigate the impact of information about the origin of tomatoes in the perception and sensory acceptance of consumers. More than 230 citizens have participated!
LAB4SUPPLY Workshop during the Open Doors Day at the Agròpolis experimentation centre (Viladecans)
July 2023. An exhibition day of the various projects carried out in Agròpolis – UPC that provide technological solutions for tomato cultivation, from seed selection to pest control. LAB4SUPPLY has organised a workshop to discuss marketing: “Is direct sales a realistic distribution channel?”
Agrotech 2023 Viladecans
June 2023. LAB4SUPPLY has participated in the AgroTech conference organised by the city council of Viladecans and AgroTech UPC. We have presented our project and taken part in the round table discussion on challenges and opportunities of technology in the horticultural sector.
First Focus group on the tomato value chain in Castelldefels
November 2022. Focus Group heldin CREDA’s premises (Castelldefels, Barcelona). Different stakeholders, such as farmers, distributors, processing companies, restaurateurs and public agents have discussed the distribution problems of the tomato value chain.
