"If we want to change our eating habits, we must 'relearn' how to cook"

We talked to Alex Durrande and Andrea Guerrero from the magazine Gust, the new publication on healthy, sustainable and affordable food in the neighbourhood of Sant Martí.

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22/03/2023 - 14:41 h - City Council Ajuntament de Barcelona

In view of the upcoming call for applications for grants under the ‘Impulsem el que Fas’ [We promote what you do] programme, we wanted to find out more about one of the sustainable food projects that would almost certainly never have seen the light of day without the funding provided by the programme. We are talking about the new Gust magazine, a publication whose first issue is hot off the press. It seeks to help the residents of the district of Sant Martí change their eating habits.

We talked about the reasons behind this publishing venture with the integrative dietitian and Gust editor Andrea Guerrero, as well as with Alex Durrande, chairman of the La Cuina que Canta association, the magazine’s publisher.

Why did you choose a magazine – and a paper one at that – to help change people’s eating habits?

AG: Magazines are a very powerful medium when it comes to increasing awareness and bringing about change. That’s why we launched it: in order to push this whole transformation and, above all, to do so based on a local approach, promoting seasonal products and giving a voice to local projects and businesses working in the field of sustainable food.

AD: Also because we want to reach everyone, and a paper magazine is the best choice for older people who don’t use digital media, as well as to give children their own section for play and learning… And the content is suitable for everyone. It contains informative content both for people with a basic knowledge of sustainability and for those who are starting from zero, as well as practical content, such as recommendations on when and where to do one’s shopping, recipes and so on.

[It is also available to read online on the Cuina que Canta website]

This first issue has a run of 1,000 copies and will be available at distribution points all over Sant Martí. Where are they?

AG:  We currently have around 18 distribution points. The magazine can be found in civic centres, neighbourhood centres, universities and some shops. However, we’d like to have many more points for future issues. We’re working on it, talking to new businesses as well as markets.

What was the Agròpolis space’s role in the magazine’s launch?

AD: The association had already been working on a project to launch a magazine and, thanks to Agròpolis, other organisations ended up joining the project through an editorial board. In fact, it happened in last year’s edition of the project co-creation conference Agrohackató. We talked about our idea at the conference, and both Espigoladors and the Leitat i Antígona Technology Centre decided they wanted to get involved.

What about the funding you needed in order to launch it? Did you obtain it under the ‘Impulsem el que fas’ programme?

AD:  Yes, 65% of the funding came from the programme. It’s thanks to this grant that we’ve been able to publish this first issue, as well as the five remaining issues we have planned this year. In any case, we’re working to achieve economic sustainability, through publicity and other means, to ensure the project’s integrity and financial balance. For example, though we started out in Sant Martí, this local approach, based in the neighbourhood, for the neighbourhood, could also be applied to other neighbourhoods and other cities.

And have you had any other support of any kind in addition to the funding received?

AG:  The technical support we’ve been offered has also been a significant help. Support has been provided based on our needs at any given time in order to ensure the magazine eventually came out.

How have local residents reacted to this first issue?

AG: It’s still in the early days – it came out less than two weeks ago – but all the responses we have received so far have been very positive. Both from the businesses and organisations that are collaborating with us and spreading the word and from readers, spreading the word on social media and so on.

AD: I think this positive response is partly due to Gust‘s community aspect, which we want to use to publicise businesses and organisations that share our values and are trying to promote healthier and more sustainable consumption, but that sadly lack the necessary visibility.

What barriers are standing in the way of this change in people’s habits?

AG: There are many barriers. There is a clear issue of economic privilege, with price being one of the main barriers – although not the only one. This is why at the magazine we always talk about eating in a way that is not only healthy and sustainable but, above all, affordable. And we bear this in mind in all our recommendations. We have to be realistic and think of everyone.

AD: The perceived value of food has plummeted. In the 1960s, 40% of a household’s budget was allocated to food, compared to merely 20% today. People now also spend their money on rent, electricity, leisure and other things, and eating habits and lifestyles have changed too. We don’t have the time to cook, or even to go to the store. We must once more become aware that it’s normal to spend time cooking each day, and we should be able to cook plant-based meals as well, rather than just meat and fish.

Do we need to relearn how to cook?

AD: Absolutely! In fact, Gust is an informative and cooking magazine that aims to teach people how to do exactly that.

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