Luis Planas: 'Spain is going to transform gastronomic recognition into global leadership'

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, during his speech at the event

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, acknowledged that a great opportunity has opened up to continue the culinary revolution that placed Spain at the forefront of the world: "We have a cuisine with its own identity, which respects tradition and at the same time fosters creativity and talent".

Luis Planas closed the presentation of the International Plan for Spanish Gastronomy, which he defined as "a national roadmap, pioneering in its scope and ambition", designed to "organise and structure what already exists, without reinventing what works, and to plan future actions in an inclusive, efficient, and realistic way".

As the minister explained, the plan responds to a demand shared by the sector and to "the need to consolidate the role of gastronomy as one of the country's major strategic assets", in line with the National Food Strategy, presented a year ago. "If we are proud to be an agri-food powerhouse, our gastronomy is undoubtedly a strategic asset for Spain", he remarked.

The minister also stressed that this is a national plan, conceived through unity and consensus, and developed through dialogue with more than 120 professionals from the gastronomic ecosystem, including chefs, producers, business owners, experts, and sector organisations. This initiative, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has benefited from the coordinated involvement of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, through ICEX; and the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, through Turespaña.

Ten measures to boost Spanish gastronomy

The International Plan for Spanish Gastronomy is structured around 10 measures organised into four main areas. The first focuses on strengthening talent through training and knowledge. It stems from a clear idea, underscored by the minister: "gastronomy is an academic discipline". This area promotes, among other initiatives, the creation of an international network of professionals who will act as ambassadors for Spanish gastronomy abroad.

The second area focuses on transforming the prestige achieved by Spanish gastronomy into greater presence, consumption, and business opportunities. In the words of Planas, it is about "ensuring that creative projects are also sustainable and commercially viable", supporting business models with real internationalisation potential.

The third area addresses the key role of gastronomy in tourism. The minister noted that "the 97 million visitors to Spain are also ambassadors for our gastronomy and our agri-food sector", and it integrates the culinary experience throughout the traveller's entire visit. This area also supports initiatives for international cultural promotion, such as caling on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for Spanish tapas to be included on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Finally, the fourth area aims to provide gastronomy with a common framework by creating a national gastronomic brand, capable of projecting a unique, diverse, and cohesive identity to the world. "Spain is a diverse country in terms of territory, culture, and gastronomy, and we must be able to have a common message without losing that diversity", the minister stated.

Luis Planas stressed that the Plan is intended to be permanent and is a dynamic framework, open to adaptation and continuous improvement. Its implementation will be carried out through annual action programmes with measurable, results-oriented objectives. Therefore, the measures for 2026, corresponding to the implementation of this new plan, will be presented in a few weeks' time.

"Today is not the end, today is the beginning", the minister concluded, convinced that this is "a magnificent opportunity to boost and consolidate Spain's leadership in world gastronomy and, by extension, in our agri-food production".

Non official translation