The health and food sector has closed the cycle of virtual conferences ‘Female leadership in strategic economic sectors during the pandemic’, organized by Barcelona Activa and the Associació 50a50.

Under the title “Women in the health and food sector in Barcelona in the era of COVID-19″, the session focused on giving a voice to the women who lead this sector, which has had an important weight during the pandemic.

Firstly, Álvaro Porro, Commissioner for Social and Green Economy, Local Development and Food Policy of the Barcelona City Council, has presented the Barcelona project as the World Capital of Sustainable Food for 2021. In this framework, more than ninety projects and policies will be developed for promoting sustainable food: “We want the Sustainable Food Capital of the World to be an opportunity for many economic and social sectors, with the aim of transforming our food model”.

The 50a50 member, Carol Daunert, moderated the round table, which gathered the experience of three entrepreneurs: Irina Costafreda, founder of Obbio; Montserrat Mas, general director of Ubae Fitness; and Chiara Bombardi, founder of Bistrot Rasoterra and Inimitable, and president of Slow Food Barcelona.

“I undertook by vocation with the business and food world, and convinced of the creation of projects that enrich – explained Irina Costafreda -. Barcelona is a perfect location for my business to raise awareness of healthy eating in the city”.

The speakers have exposed the challenges and opportunities arising from the pandemic. “We have created a very complete platform to do physical activity online, where we have a largely Spanish-speaking audience and we offer virtual services such as medical assistance”, said Montserrat Mas. Bombardi added: “The current situation of restaurants is complex. With the pandemic, food has been subject to and subject to very great changes. When something like this happens, a step towards sustainability must be taken”.

The role of women as a promoter of health within the home has also been valued. “The woman is the main consumer and the one in charge of supplying the food”, according to Costafreda. “On the other hand, the world of sports is a masculine world”, countered Mas.

The three businesswomen remarked that awareness has been awakened towards taking better care of health and nutrition, and the changes that have been incorporated are going to stay.

The cycle has given voice and visibility to the women who are leading some of the most important economic sectors of the city during the crisis caused by COVID-19. In this series of sessions, the fact that the pandemic has hit the city’s economy hard, and among the groups that have been most affected, we find that of women, who already presented relevant social and gender inequalities.