The Special Award collectively recognized the agricultural and agri-food sector for its response during the fires that affected the region. Agricultural professionals plowed land and created firebreaks, provided water and access routes, and helped protect farms, crops and communities. “This summer, there was no need to explain that those who work the land are guardians of the territory. We saw it,” said Arancha Simón, the regional minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Food.
FIVE AWARDS FOR ARAGONESE PROJECTS
Beyond this tribute, the awards recognized five initiatives. Orchard Fruit, a family-run company from La Almunia de Doña Godina, received the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award for combining its own fruit production with innovation and international growth, as well as for promoting new formats that add value to fruit from Aragón.
In the Agri-Food Research category, the award went to the Aragón Gastronomic Innovation Center (CIGA), based in Huesca, for its work in research, training and knowledge transfer. Meanwhile, Tierra Mudéjar, a family-run company from Santa Eulalia del Campo (Teruel) that has specialized since 1988 in raising and processing duck and producing artisanal foie gras, pâtés and gourmet products, was recognized as a Food Artisan Company.
FROM TRADITIONAL PULSES TO OUTREACH
The Ecological or Sustainability Initiative Award went to the Association of Producers of Unique Pulses of Aragón, linked to Perales de Alfambra (Teruel). Its work focuses on recovering, preserving and marketing traditional pulse varieties, with the aim of safeguarding agricultural biodiversity, food heritage and economic activity in rural areas.
The list of winners was completed by Con Mucho Gusto, a supplement of Heraldo de Aragón edited by Mariano Millán, which received the Content Creation and Outreach Award for its work on gastronomy, food from Aragón and quality labels. During the ceremony, Simón stressed that the awards belong to those who sustain the sector every day and summed up their importance with a message to the honorees: “What you do matters. It matters to our towns, our economy and our families. It matters to Aragón.”
