Spain’s food industry is highly competitive, both in terms of price and quality

Congratulations to Alimarket! Initiatives such as the PRIVEL trade fair and the launch of the Marca Privada magazine provide invaluable support in achieving two objectives that I consider strategic for the sector.

The first is to give the ‘Made in Spain’ label its own identity and visibility in the production and export of private-label fast-moving consumer goods, while helping to create dedicated forums and communication channels. The second is to build bridges with the Latin American market, where the sector is emerging and offers synergies for Spanish companies—not only because of its size (700 million inhabitants), but also because of our cultural similarities and shared historical ties.

According to official figures, one in every eight tonnes of fast-moving consumer goods produced in Europe comes from Spain, making the country a key force in the food industry. Although there are no specific official statistics on private-label production, it would be reasonable to assume that Spain’s share in this field could be considerably higher for three reasons: the very high penetration of own-brand products among Spanish consumers; historically lower industrial production costs than those of other major European countries; and the significant investments manufacturers have made in automation, digitalisation, quality and sustainability in recent years. These factors have created a food industry that is highly competitive in both price and quality, making Spain a leading benchmark for the Western world in this field.

At Euromadi, drawing on more than 30 years of experience in finding the best production options for our private-label brands, we can say that Spanish manufacturers rank among the most effective and efficient in Europe. For this reason, I believe that growing exports are the natural outcome of the excellent work carried out by Spain’s FMCG industry—a sustained effort that has made remarkable progress in recent years.

Now is the time to raise the profile of the work being done in this key sector. According to the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the agri-food sector accounts for more than 16% of GDP when both primary production and the food industry are included. Initiatives such as PRIVEL and the first edition of this magazine complement existing promotional activities and channels and are therefore very welcome. They provide fresh momentum for the sector.

Alongside strong attendance from Spanish and European retailers and manufacturers, the second edition of PRIVEL has attracted considerable interest from the buying teams of leading Latin American retail chains. They see Spanish products as an opportunity to complement their ranges in markets where demand for private-label products is growing rapidly. The potential for mutual synergies is clear.

(*) Toni Font has extensive experience in modern retail and is Managing Director of Euromadi Group, a leading multi-sector purchasing and services organisation in Spain. Its national network comprises more than 15,100 points of sale and recorded aggregate revenue of nearly €34bn in 2025. Euromadi is a founding member of EMD (European Marketing Distribution), Europe’s largest buying group for fast-moving consumer goods. In the last financial year, aggregate international sales through EMD reached €206.5bn, supported by a network of more than 57,000 points of sale. Euromadi’s own brands include well-known names such as Alteza, Spar, Deleitum, Selex and Tandy.