What Banc dels Aliments does

Fundació Banc dels Aliments is a non-profit foundation (Fundació Privada) established in May 1987 in Barcelona, Spain, and is the first food bank in Spain. It recovers food suitable for human consumption that would otherwise be wasted and distributes it free of charge to a network of 317 registered social initiative entities (NGOs, parish Caritas, Creu Roja, Fundació Pere Tarrés entities, and parish/religious organizations) which in turn serve vulnerable populations. In 2024 the organization distributed 15,601,630 kg of food (notional value €38,000,000) to 114,100 people across Catalonia, while avoiding an estimated 20,892 tonnes of CO2eq emissions in 2023.

The core operational model is logistics-based rather than technology-based. Food is acquired through surplus recovery from supermarkets and distribution chains, industry donations, direct purchases financed by monetary donations, and the flagship Gran Recapte campaign plus Cap Llar Sense Aliments (with Fundació "la Caixa" and CaixaBank). Distribution runs through six warehouses: a main 2,535 m² headquarters in Barcelona with 1,300 pallets and cold/freezing chambers, the Foodback secondary warehouse at Mercabarna (900 m²), and four regulatory warehouses in Cabrera de Mar, Manresa, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, and Subirats. Surplus fruit is transformed into juices and baby food pouches, and the organization offers training and equipment loans (freezers, refrigerators) to partner entities.

The revenue model consists of food donations, monetary donations (one-time and periodic), direct food purchases, and public subsidies, with no fees charged to downstream entities. GTM combines a community-led motion (corporate partnerships, Gran Recapte, Food Challenge Barcelona team-building) with a direct-to-consumer motion (individual donations, volunteering, inheritance gifts, solidarity gifts). The organization is governed as an apolitical, non-denominational foundation and is a member of GFN, FEBA, FESBAL, and ACATBAL/FECATBAL food-banking networks.

Name

Banc dels Aliments

Legal name

Fundació Banc dels Aliments

Website

https://bancdelsaliments.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fundació Banc dels Aliments is a Barcelona-based non-profit food bank founded in 1987 that recovers surplus food and distributes it free of charge to 317 social entities serving 114,100 vulnerable people across Catalonia annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Waste Reduction & Diversion Services (Donation, Animal Feed, Source Reduction Programs) (EUAIAEAH)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Food recovery and redistribution
• Hunger relief programs
• Food surplus management
• Charitable food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food Donations: The organization receives donated food from companies, supermarkets, food industry, and citizens through various campaigns (Gran Recapte, etc.). These donations are redistributed to social entities.
2. Economic Donations: Individual and corporate monetary donations used to purchase basic foods (oil, eggs, milk, frozen chicken, infant formula, cereals) and fund operations. Donations can be one-time or periodic.
3. Direct Food Purchases: The organization makes direct purchases of foods to complement basic food baskets, financed through donations and subsidies received.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fundació Banc dels Aliments recovers surplus food from food companies, supermarkets, primary producers and the food industry through channels such as SERMA produce removal, the Foodback facility at Mercabarna and direct industry donations. It then redistributes that food free of charge through a network of more than 300 social entities registered in RESES that serve vulnerable populations across Catalonia. The foundation also runs food transformation programs producing juices, baby food pouches and prepared meals from surplus produce, and operates six warehouses with cold-chain capacity for decentralized distribution.

Product overview

Fundació Banc dels Aliments is a nonprofit food bank that recovers and distributes food to people in vulnerable situations through a network of social entities. The organization operates food recovery programs (including SERMA produce removal, Foodback at Mercabarna, industry donations, supermarket surplus recovery), food transformation initiatives (juice production, baby food pouches, prepared meals), and various distribution programs (basic non-perishable foods, fresh produce, cold chain, solidarity cards). The organization does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surplus Food Recovery and Redistribution Program Recovers edible surplus food from food companies, supermarkets, primary producers and the food industry, then distributes it free of charge through a network of 317 social entities registered in RESES to serve vulnerable populations across Catalonia. Includes dedicated fresh produce recovery via the Foodback facility at Mercabarna.
• Food Transformation Program Transforms surplus or cosmetically imperfect produce and other recovered foods into juices, baby food pouches and prepared meals. Part of the fruit recovery program operating under EU agricultural policy with OPFH producer organizations.
• Food Challenge Barcelona (Corporate Team Building) A paid corporate team-building experience offered by the foundation in which company teams engage in food-related volunteering activities. Designed for companies seeking CSR or sustainability-linked team-building activities and serving as a corporate engagement channel for the food bank.
• Educational Outreach Program for Schools Sensitization program targeting educational centers, providing materials and activities aligned with school curriculum to teach students about food waste, sustainability and food solidarity. Audience is primary and secondary school students across Catalonia.
• Gran Recapte (Annual Food Collection Campaign) Flagship recurring food collection campaign mobilizing citizens across Catalonia to donate food and money during an annual multi-day drive. A top-of-funnel channel for individual donor acquisition and food supply replenishment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15.6 million kg of food distributed in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ACATBAL (Associació Catalana de Bancs dels Aliments)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Created in 2013 to coordinate actions at Catalonia level. Formed by the four food banks in each territorial demarcation. Enables combined efforts with Administration, companies, and citizens.
• GFN (The Global FoodBanking Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Founded in 2006 by food banks from Mexico, Feeding America, Food Banks Canada, and Red Argentina de Bancos de Alimentos. Currently connects and empowers organizations in nearly 100 countries. Together they recover more than 426 million kg of food annually, feeding approximately 30 million people.
• FESBAL (Federación Española de Bancos de Alimentos)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Founded in 1996 with the initial impulse from Banc dels Aliments de Barcelona. Coordinates relations with central and international administration bodies, non-profit entities, and companies. Coordinates 55 food banks (approximately one per province) in Spain.
• FEBA (Federación Europea de Bancos de Alimentos)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Founded in 1986, driven by France and Belgium. Currently groups 256 banks from 21 countries. European food banks continuously improve management to maximize food recovery.
• Fundació "la Caixa"flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborates with La Caixa Foundation and CaixaBank on the 'Cap Llar Sense Aliments' campaign (7th edition) to channel donations to families in need. Major partner in food distribution campaigns.
• CaixaBankflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborates on the 'Cap Llar Sense Aliments' campaign to guarantee access to dignified food for vulnerable families.
• MercabarnacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates Foodback facility at Mercabarna wholesale market, recovering fresh produce. Secondary warehouse of 900 m² with cold storage capacity.
• Ajuntament de BarcelonacoreOthersCity of Barcelona - public institution partner providing support and coordination for food bank operations.
• Generalitat de CatalunyacoreOthersRegional government of Catalonia - coordinates social policies and supports food bank network through Drets Socials (Social Rights Department).
• Diputació de BarcelonacoreOthersProvincial government providing institutional support and coordination with the food bank network.
• OPFH (Organització de Productors de Fruites i Hortalisses)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer organizations providing surplus fruit for transformation into juices. Part of fruit recovery program under EU agricultural policy.
• Distribution Chains and Municipal MarketscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupermarkets and municipal markets that donate surplus food. Agreements established for entities near distribution points to collect waste.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Olio: Peer-to-peer food sharing platform. Addresses the same food-waste problem with a hyper-local, app-based model rather than centralized warehousing. Represents a different scaling paradigm for surplus food recovery.
• Too Good To Go: B2C app that lets consumers purchase surplus food from retailers. Competes with Banc dels Aliments for the same retailer surplus pool but routes it to paying consumers rather than vulnerable populations, potentially shrinking the bank's upstream supply.

Direct peers

• Feeding America: Largest US food bank network; co-founder of the Global FoodBanking Network alongside Banc dels Aliments' Spanish counterparts. Directly comparable on food recovery, warehouse logistics, and downstream agency distribution, with similar donor- and volunteer-driven economics.
• Federación Española de Bancos de Alimentos (FESBAL): National federation of 54 Spanish food banks that Banc dels Aliments helped found in 1996. Operates the same food-recovery-and-redistribution model across all Spanish provinces, sharing donors, protocols, and policy coordination.
• Food Banks Canada: Canadian national food bank association; also a GFN co-founder. Operates the same surplus-recovery-to-charity-network model with regional affiliate banks, sharing global best practices with Banc dels Aliments via the GFN.
• Banc dels Aliments de Madrid: Sibling FESBAL food bank serving the Madrid region. Comparable in mission (surplus food recovery and NGO-mediated distribution) and operating model (warehouses + entity network), but operates in a different geography.
• Banc dels Aliments de Girona (FECATBAL): One of the four Catalan food banks coordinated by FECATBAL/ACATBAL alongside Banc dels Aliments de Barcelona. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and structure, but covers the Girona territorial demarcation.

Others

• European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA): Pan-European federation of 335 food banks across 29 countries. Banc dels Aliments is a member; FEBA operates as an enabling/infrastructure layer rather than a direct distributor, providing policy advocacy and best-practice sharing.
• The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN): Global food bank network covering nearly 100 countries and recovering 426M+ kg annually. Banc dels Aliments participates via FESBAL; GFN provides international coordination and capacity building rather than direct food distribution in Catalonia.
• Cáritas Diocesana de Barcelona: Major downstream recipient of Banc dels Aliments' food through parish Caritas entities. Adjacent rather than competing: Cáritas runs its own social programs but relies on the bank's food supply as a critical input.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/banc-dels-aliments-barcelona

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Banc dels Aliments