The City Council of Barcelona expands the Alimenta programme with three new centres. The restaurant at MACBA, managed by Impulsem SCCL, is incorporated as 'Alimenta Raval'.
The restaurant of the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), known as MACBA Bar, has become the new community social dining room for the Alimenta programme. The initiative, driven by the City Council of Barcelona along with social entities, adds this space to the network of centres that provide food to vulnerable people, involving them in preparation and community life.
The MACBA Bar, managed by the cooperative Impulsem SCCL, is now called 'Alimenta Raval'. It is one of the three new centres joining the programme, which started in 2021 with four dining rooms. The other two are Alimenta Sants-Badal, launched with the Fundació Canpedró, and Alimenta Eixample Esquerra, in collaboration with the Fundació Ciutadania Multicultural - Mescladís.
The territorial expansion of the programme allows for more than 170 places and diversifies the beneficiary neighbourhoods. Until now, the dining rooms were located in Carmel and Teixonera, Gòtic, Guineueta, and Besòs - Maresme. With the new centres, Raval, Sants-Badal, and Eixample Esquerre are also covered.
The municipal commissioner for Social Action, Sonia Fuertes, presented the expansion on Thursday at the MACBA restaurant itself. Fuertes recalled that the programme was born from social initiatives for food provision and community support during the pandemic. "Alimenta goes beyond meeting the need for food; the classic model of a strict social dining room has been transformed," she noted.
The event also featured Eduard de Vicente, manager of MACBA; Anna Soler and Glòria Navarro, municipal officials of the programme, and representatives from the entities Mescladís, Canpedró, Impulsem, and Fundació Roure. Navarro highlighted that "people no longer go hungry; that has been overcome for some time, which is why we are now going further and asking what the best support is for each person."
Each new centre develops a proposal tailored to its environment, but all share the same objectives: food security, social integration, support, and job placement. Alimenta Sants-Badal revolves around the project "A plate for today, a service for tomorrow," with 30 places specifically aimed at families with children. The Fundació Can Pedró combines food support with socio-educational guidance and has a small fresh food shop that allows adapting the shopping basket to the reality and culture of each family.
Alimenta Raval, managed by Impulsem SCCL, links food directly with improving employability and job searching. The cooperative, specialised in socio-labour inclusion, uses the dining room as a platform for educational, training, and entrepreneurship support initiatives.
On the other hand, Alimenta Eixample Esquerra, managed by Mescladís, offers 20 places specifically aimed at women of working age in situations of socio-economic vulnerability. The project uses sustainable gastronomy as a tool for training and community networking. The majority profile is migrant women who participate in shared meals and neighbourhood activities daily.
The Alimenta programme is part of municipal policies to combat social exclusion. With the expansion, the City Council reinforces its commitment to a model of social dining room that goes beyond mere food provision, seeking the integration and autonomy of the people served. The new centres are already operational and are expected to continue growing based on the needs identified in each neighbourhood.
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