17 de July de 2026
Cambio climático y gestión de recursos naturales
Calidad y cadena alimentaria
Resiliencia y competitividad
Pla de Manlleu (Catalonia) and Cantero de Letur (Castilla-La Mancha) will compete in the categories of “Best Ecological Region” and “Best SME in the processing of organic food”, respectively
- The 2026 “Ecological Awards” recognize innovative initiatives across the entire ecological value chain in Europe and this year have selected 21 finalists from 12 Member States
- Pla de Manlleu (Catalonia) and Cantero de Letur (Castilla-La Mancha) will compete in the categories of “Best Ecological Region” and “Best SME in the processing of organic food”, respectively
- The winners will be announced on September 23, coinciding with the celebration of European Union Ecological Day.
Organic farming continues to consolidate its position as one of the pillars of the transition to more environmentally friendly food systems in the European Union (EU) . Currently, the area dedicated to organic production reaches 17.7 million hectares , representing 10.9% of European agricultural land , and is supported by the strategic plans of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) , which include specific support measures for the sector.
In this context, the European Commission (EC) has announced the 21 finalists for the fifth edition of the EU Eco Awards 2026 , which recognize innovative, sustainable, and inspiring projects across the entire ecological value chain. The awards distinguish initiatives that add value to organic production and consumption. Spain will be represented this year by two projects, which will compete in their respective categories. The winners will be announced on September 23 , coinciding with EU Eco Day .
Spanish finalists for the 2026 “Ecological Awards”
Two Spanish initiatives have managed to position themselves among the best European candidates of this edition and will compete to win two of the seven awards offered.
Category “Best ecological region/biodistrict”
This category recognizes regions or biodistricts that promote organic production through comprehensive territorial development strategies. The three finalists are:
Pla de Manlleu (Catalonia, Spain).
Distretto Sardegna Bio (Sardinia, Italy).
Alto Tâmega e Barroso (Chaves, Portugal).
Category “Best SME in organic food processing”
This award recognizes small and medium-sized enterprises dedicated to the processing of organic products that stand out for their innovation and contribution to the development of the sector. The three finalists are:
Spain maintains its presence in the European awards
Spain once again plays a prominent role in the EU's "Eco Awards," as it has in previous editions. In the 2025 edition, Spain also had two finalist projects: the Region of Murcia , in the "Best Ecological Region/Biodistrict" category, and Cantero de Letur (Castilla-La Mancha), which this year is a finalist again in the "Best SME in Organic Food Processing" category.
The EU Organic Awards comprise seven prizes across six categories, including two awards in the "Best Farmer" category. They recognize various stakeholders in the organic value chain who develop excellent, innovative, sustainable, and inspiring projects. To see the full list of finalists for the 2026 EU Organic Awards, please visit here .