The University of Barcelona has joined forces with some research and agroecological organizations to consolidate a sustainable forest management model, promote the bioeconomy in rural areas and create new gastronomic products through the project "Forgotten Plants: Valorization of forest foods for sustainable land management", led by the Eixarcolant collective. Participants include the UB's EtnoBioFic Research Group (Ethnobotany, Biosystematics, Phylogeny and Molecular Cytogenetics), the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council and the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona) and the Nature Conservation Foundation. It is funded by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO).The initiative arose in response to the depopulation of rural areas during the 20th century, which led to the loss of much popular knowledge about plants and their uses. A 2019 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned that only 30 plant species constitute the food base for 90% of the world's population, while many others are used locally and could be relevant to food security in general.
As Judit Català, project technician, explains, Forgotten Plants aims to revive the use of forest food resources, which are highly interesting and beneficial from a nutritional perspective. Among its main objectives, the project seeks to develop forest management models that enhance biodiversity and climate resilience, foster links between the population and the region's natural resources, and promote the use of forest food resources.
Forgotten Plants has focused on recovering five forest species: rosehip (Rosa spp.), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), green pine cone (Pinus spp.) and acorn (Quercus ilex). Currently, the forestry work and the harvesting of the fruits to be used are almost complete. In addition, more than 125 food product prototypes have been developed, including blackthorn vinaigrette, strawberry tree hot sauce and acorn biscuits. Based on more than 50 tastings - which have yielded more than 13,000 evaluations - and a tasting with professionals from the gastronomic sector, 30 products have been selected from among all the prototypes according to criteria such as their acceptance in tastings, the viability and profitability of the product, market potential, degree of innovation, and product shelf life.
In 2025, the pilot production and marketing of the 30 selected products are underway, allowing their potential to boost a forest bioeconomy to be validated and their commercial viability to be assessed.
