The Transformative Power of Transparency: Insights from Farm-to-Table Restaurants in Barcelona

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, transparency has emerged as a cornerstone of trust, credibility, and sustainability. Beyond being a mere trend, it represents a fundamental shift toward ethical, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable business practices. This shift is particularly evident in the food industry, where both consumers and regulators increasingly scrutinize businesses to ensure they demonstrate a transparent approach to operations, sourcing, and supply chains. For example, new European Deforestation legislation will require businesses to only source commodities such as coffee, cocoa, and soy from smallholder farmers able to conduct due diligence, thereby excluding many who cannot meet these standards.

Recently, we had the privilege of interviewing Carles of Berbena and Paula of Les Filles, both owners of farm-to-table restaurants in Barcelona. Their insights shed light on the profound impact of transparency in the food industry.

Berbena

Carles emphasizes the importance of viewing sustainability as a triangle, where economic, environmental, and social aspects are interlinked, and none can be left behind. For him, financial empowerment plays a critical role in influencing both environmental and social sustainability.

One of Berbena’s primary goals is to educate customers about the true value of the products they consume in the restaurant. Carles highlights the effort, hours, water, and resources that go into producing real, quality food. He believes in making customers aware of the impact their choices have on the food system, workers, and the entire supply chain.

Carles values transparency within the restaurant itself; the kitchen was originally designed to be open for everyone to see how food is prepared. Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly difficult under new regulations from the town hall, which mandates that kitchens need to be closed, creating even more separation between the chefs and the customers. He also believes that customers should have the opportunity to see invoices of restaurants, further enhancing their understanding of the food they are consuming and the costs involved in its preparation.

"I want customers to know that when they come to Berbena, they are entering a place of impact," he says.

To illustrate the true quality of the food served, he shared a small, crimson strawberry from one of his local suppliers. As I tasted the most delicious strawberry I had ever eaten, he said, "I want people to understand, this is what a real strawberry looks like and tastes like. Not the oversized, flavorless ones you find in supermarkets."

Through Sowly, Berbena can unveil product details such as soil health, harvest dates, and other critical facets, fostering customer knowledge about the quality and uniqueness of every culinary creation.

Berbena actively engages in a WhatsApp network with fellow chefs to exchange information on suppliers within the region. This community is vital for sharing knowledge on seasonality, sustainability, and ethical sourcing practices, thereby strengthening their commitment to transparency and sustainability.

Through Sowly, Berbena can unveil product details such as soil health, harvest dates, and other critical facets, fostering customer knowledge about the quality and uniqueness of every culinary creation.

Our platform will also enable them to remove uncertainties around the sustainability of their suppliers, allowing them to make confident and better choices when it comes to sourcing ingredients.

Les Filles

Paula, owner of the beautiful restaurant Les Filles, puts strong emphasis on local sourcing and underscores the importance of consumer health and sustainability in her offerings. Yet, she faces daily challenges in determining the best sourcing options, balancing health and sustainability considerations.

Les Filles is already transparent about the names and locations of the farms they source from and supports initiatives like La Colmena—a platform that facilitates online orders of local, sustainable products with convenient pickup or delivery options.

For her, transparency extends beyond mere labeling. She wants to understand the impact of various ingredients and make the best choices for her customers' health and the environment.

"I care about what I eat and I care as well about what my customers eat. I care about their health and the harmonic environment I create in our restaurant,"

says Paula, the owner of Les Filles.

Working with Sowly will help restaurants like Les Filles dive deeper into transparency by helping them understand the impacts of different ingredients and choosing the best options. Through Sowly, Les Filles will be able to provide her customers with detailed information about detailed origins of their food - beyond the names and locations of the farms.

For example, they will track how much CO2 was generated during transport, how much farmers earned from picking the fruit, and whether the restaurant supports enough farms with young farmers to ensure that sustainable farming practices can be passed down (In Spain, the majority of farmers are reaching retirement age without sufficient new generations to take over).

This level of transparency not only reinforces restaurants' commitment to genuine farm-to-table practices but also allows us to understand the proven impact of these practices on the environment and our health. It sets a clear distinction from a world of labels and mere claims of sustainability, guiding us toward making more informed choices.

Perhaps in the future, we will not only choose restaurants based on reviews but also based on the impact those restaurants care about, aligning our values and interests with theirs through our choices.

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