BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A new edition of the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona (GFB) is being held from Monday to Wednesday, championing respect for biodiversity as the foundation of the food sector.
The GFB brings together up to 20,000 professionals from the world of food and gastronomy, with more than 350 exhibiting companies, large and small, showcasing the latest innovations in the sector.
"We welcome visitors from around Spain and abroad who are not only attracted by the large number of companies presenting their products here, but also by a variety of activities," Pep Palau, co-director of the GFB, told Xinhua.
"I would also highlight the clear and determined commitment of more firms to sustainability," he said, "The main theme this year is biodiversity, by which we mean that we have to avoid the disappearance of plant and animal species, because without them, without biodiversity, there is no cookery."
As always, the event features many innovative and original products, including a Chinese blue beer brewed in Barcelona, a traditional Spanish sausage made with Japanese wagyu beef, panettone croquettes, artichoke burgers and ristretto coffee ice cream.
This year's event also invited chefs and companies that help preserve biodiversity by recovering traditional and less exploitative methods of food production.