Cooperativa Eixarcolant, SCCL

Overview Col·lectiu Eixarcolant* (Eixarcolant Collective) is a non-profit organization and cooperative that aims to recover the uses of wild edible plants and traditional agricultural varieties as a tool to promote the development of a more sustainable, healthier and fair agri-food model. A model that dignifies the peasantry, promotes sustainable rural development, and generalizes the consumption of local, seasonal and quality products. Since 2016, we carry out projects throughout Catalonia, framed in 10 lines of action, in order to make it possible for these species and varieties to be re-cultivated, marketed and consumed, and for all this to be done. in a sustainable and ethical way. *Eixarcolant: hand weeding in vegetable crops, meadows or field margins. And also, take profit from the weeds collected. Our work. The 10 lines of action are summarized below: 1. Recovery of traditional varieties and wild species This is a line of action that represents the essence, the foundations, of Eixarcolant Collective. Without the conservation of edible wildlife and traditional agricultural varieties, along with their uses, it would be impossible to get them to be a tool for a model transformation. There are many scientific studies that highlight the paramount importance of these species and varieties returning to farms, shops, and kitchens in every household. We have hundreds of thousands of wild edible species and traditional agricultural varieties close to where we live that we could grow, market, and consume normally. But many of these species and varieties have nearly disappeared from our diet and our everyday lives.This is the reason why from the Eixarcolant Collective we work, throughout the Catalan territory, in projects that allow to document and recover these species and varieties and their associated uses, in order to return this collective heritage towards the whole population and convert it in one of the most powerful tools we have to transform the agri-food system. 2. Territorial revitalization Revitalization, as we understand it, means getting things to happen, in a positive way, even those that initially seem unthinkable. It also means listening, understanding and collecting all the points of views, no matter how opposed they are, and making constructive proposals that reach consensus and are fully argued. It also implies having patience, because background changes take time. Territorial revitalization it’s a key element because it allows to identify the needs, problems or conflicts of a given territory or sector, and establish the bases and the way to provide answers and solutions. The purpose is to contribute to the definition of a model of development that has a positive impact on the activities carried out on agricultural and forestry land and all the factors of the value chain that derives from it. At the same time, this revitalization must also contribute to generate a solid economy and create employment in the primary sector, as well as to encourage the consumption of local quality products obtained in a sustainable way at the environmental, social and economic level. At the same time, territorial revitalization must also make it possible to identify the values or singularities of a given territory, which contribute to the general well-being of the population through the provision of ecosystem services. For example, it increases the quality of landscapes and leisure spaces enjoyed by the local population. Consequently, the return of revitalization projects has a positive impact on the whole population living in the territory where it is developed. 3. Research Applied research, basic research, and knowledge transfer are essential axes in order to make edible wild species and traditional agricultural varieties truly elements of change.We carry out agronomic research, in order to make possible and optimize the cultivation, management and harvest of these plant species and varieties. This research can be carried out bot