Shops offering sustainable, high-quality, local products are gaining popularity in Spain's urban centres. Major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia offer visitors the chance to buy organic products through a wide range of options. Options range from markets offering local food, crafts and natural cosmetics to sustainable fashion shows. Fancy finding out about some of the options for eco-friendly shopping in Spain?
Food markets
Spain is one of the largest showcases for food grown sustainably and locally to preserve its freshness and flavour. In Madrid you'll find numerous initiatives offering artisan, organic and local products. The Madrid Farmers' Market is a zero-km project that promotes the region's agriculture and food offering from small local producers. One of the most attractive events is the: Planetario Municipal Farmers’ Market. It is held on the first and third Sunday of every month (except July and August) next to Parque Tierno Galván. This space, with more than 36 stalls, also offers themed days to learn about healthy consumption habits, tastings, live music and children's workshops.
The city of Barcelona also has numerous spaces displaying local and seasonal products. One of the best examples is the Mercat de la Terra, an open-air ecological market held every week in the Parc de les Tres Xemeneies in the Poble-sec neighbourhood. This space offers a wide selection of vegetables, fruit, cereals, cheese, cured meats and sausages, and pastries on more than thirty stalls, promoting and encouraging sustainable consumption of traditional local products.
Valencia also has various local markets that foster relationships between producers and consumers of products from the land and sea. Plaza Ciudad de Brujas is home to the Central Market, an iconic location considered one of the masterpieces of Valencian modernism and one of the largest markets in Europe. The market not only promotes organic products, but also invites its consumers to identify them through a European label, the Euroleaf seal, which guarantees that they do not contain pesticides, are not genetically modified and have been grown and/or raised in an environmentally friendly manner.Seville is also home to many locations committed to environmentally friendly food.The Organic and Local Farmers' Market is held on the second Saturday of every month in the Alameda de Hércules. It offers a selection of sustainable and local products from the region, such as dairy products, cured meats and sausages, oils and loose products that reduce the use of plastic packaging.
Crafts and eco-friendly cosmetics
Another of the sectors in Spain that is most committed to trade linked to traditions and the environment is the artisan craft sector.In Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Valencia's Association of Artisans (ARTEVAL) organises the annual Spring Craft Fair. The event, which takes place during the months of April and May, brings together around thirty exhibitors selling artisan pieces including jewellery, costume jewellery and other goldsmith items. There are also workshops where you can learn manual crafts and innovative techniques.
In Asturias, the Artisan and Organic Market in Gijón is a monthly event dedicated to environmentally friendly crafts, combining tradition with modernity. Its renowned, exclusive and unique artistic creations preserve the traditional methods of ancient Asturian crafts, using materials such as jet, leather, jewellery, glass and stone, and techniques including wood carving, spinning, and painting. You can also enjoy traditional, high-quality products such as bread, cured meats and sausages, cheese, honey, jams and fruit, as well as activities and workshops that immerse visitors in the region's culture.
Sustainable fashion shows
Buying vintage fashion or fashion made from organic products or recycled materials has become a trend. Spain is home to some of the leading initiatives in the new trend for environmentally friendly fashion, which is based on clothing and accessories that are more natural and sustainable, and produced using fewer resources.The Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW) is an annual event held every autumn to promote and raise the profile of emerging designers. Following a number of editions in Barcelona, it is now held in Madrid. Its objectives focus on presenting new and transformative solutions in the choice and way of working with materials, as well as promoting collaboration between companies, brands, suppliers and industry workers based on ethical and responsible production and consumption criteria. In addition to fashion shows, the SFW also includes professional activities such as talks and workshops.
The Circular Sustainable Fashion Week (CSFW) is a circular fashion show that promotes care for the planet by fostering a textile industry committed to the environment and people. This initiative highlights the work of companies and brands guided by transparent and responsible business models. It promotes a space that raises the profile of designers who prioritise innovation in fashion and eco-design as a form of recycling and repairing the environment.In Bizkaia (Basque Country), the sustainable fashion brand Vintage Bilbao organises monthly cultural events and invites visitors to 500-square-metre space selling recycled and second-hand clothing every weekend. Here, visitors can find high-quality and/or handcrafted clothing and accessories from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
