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Spain launches “Nothing is thrown away here” campaign at record breaking food fair
Agriculture minister Luis Planas opens Fruit Attraction as new advertising push targets waste in Spanish kitchens
Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture has unveiled a new campaign aimed squarely at what happens in our own kitchens, under the catchy slogan “ESPAÑA SABE. AQUI NO SE TIRA NADA” (Spain Knows. Nothing is thrown away here.) The timing couldn’t be more fitting, as it launched alongside this year’s Fruit Attraction fair in Madrid, the world’s biggest event of its kind, now in its seventeenth edition.Minister Luis Planas officially opened the fair, praising Spain’s fruit and vegetable sector as “dynamic and innovative, highly productive and with a clear export vocation.” He didn’t hold back on the numbers either. “We are the leading producer of fruit and vegetables in the European Union and the tenth largest in the world,” he said, pointing out that Spain grows a full quarter of the EU’s total output.
Spanish farmers produce more than 26 million tonnes of fruit and veg each year, worth around €17.122 billion in 2025, roughly 30% of the country’s entire agricultural production. Around 44% of that heads abroad, generating export earnings of over €22 billion.
Fittingly, the fair itself broke records this year too, drawing more than 2,500 exhibiting companies and over 121,000 professionals from 150 countries across 162,000 square metres of exhibition space. The potato takes centre stage as this year’s star product, with China and the United Arab Emirates invited as guest countries.
Tucked between pavilions 5 and 6 sits the Ministry’s own contribution, the “Plaza Alimentos de España,” a decorated open air terrace serving up food stalls, live music and plenty of good Spanish produce, all built around the new campaign’s message.
So what exactly does the campaign ask of us? Rather than another round of finger wagging, it takes a warmer, more relatable approach, using short, often humorous video stories based on everyday moments in Spanish homes. The idea is simple: show people small, practical changes rather than lecture them. That means better planning of shopping trips and menus, keeping the fridge properly organised, turning leftovers into new meals, and not being shy about asking for a doggy bag when dining out.
There’s good reason for focusing on households specifically. In 2025, a striking 97.5% of all food wasted by consumers came from our own kitchens, making it the single biggest area where real change can happen.
The campaign builds on the Ministry’s wider “España Sabe” platform, which has long championed the quality, tradition and culture behind Spanish food. With adverts running across TV, print, radio and social media in the months ahead, the message is refreshingly straightforward. Cutting food waste doesn’t take grand gestures, just a few small habits most of us can easily pick up.
Images: alimentosdespana.es
