Can we change the current agri-food system?

Food production generates one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is insufficient for millions of people suffering from food insecurity. Some studies advocate for a shift towards a more sustainable system, focusing on both human and environmental well-being.

A report by the World Economic Forum’s New Frontiers in Nutrition community, in collaboration with Accenture, calls for a significant shift in strategy to transform the global food system based on human and planetary health. A pathway to a sustainable food system that would enable people to lead happier, healthier and more productive lives.

It is an initiative that integrates the public, private and community sectors, focusing on increasing the availability, access, and uptake of nutritious food choices, while keeping sustainability goals in mind. It underlines the need for cross-sectoral collaboration to transform food systems and policies with the ultimate goal of achieving a more equitable and sustainable food landscape with improved global health outcomes.

The initiative details the steps to follow for healthier diets, with an emphasis on nutrient-rich, minimally processed and predominantly plant-based foods. Key suggestions include encouraging the production of organic foods that are affordable and accessible, while strengthening the link between food and health in consumer awareness.

It also advocates for facilitating a retail environment that makes nutritious choices the default option. Although most indicators of inadequate diets affecting the most vulnerable sectors of society focus on malnutrition, malnutrition is also defined by a lack of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and other key micronutrients.

An economic opportunity in transforming food systems

The World Economic Forum’s findings are in line with another global report by leading economists and scientists at the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC), which finds that existing food systems destroy more value than they create, especially because of environmental and health costs.

A poor diet is also linked to an increased risk of common mental illnesses. Depression alone costs the global economy $1 trillion per year in lost labour productivity.

In this context, a study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that the hidden environmental, social and health costs of current agri-food systems amounted to an additional 11 trillion euros in 2020.

In this sense, shifting to a more sustainable global food system could generate up to 7.9 trillion euros of benefits per year, as well as improving our health and alleviating the climate crisis. The cost of the transformation would therefore be far less than the potential dividends, providing a better life for hundreds of millions of people.

The study proposes to divert subsidies and tax incentives from large-scale monocultures that are destructive and dependent on fertilisers, pesticides and forest clearance, to small and medium-sized producers. At the very least, as an alternative to the current system that pushes farmers to run large, intensively industrialised farms.

However, the main challenge of a transition to this new agri-food model is the rising cost of food. A paradigm shift that requires not only consumer awareness but also taking into account the current economic situation, unless we want to see farmers’ protests turning into a globalised popular revolt.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

If you don’t quite understand why, despite living in a so-called meritocracy, your efforts are not rewarded, don’t worry, a computer model of wealth creation overturns the notion that economic success is linked to talent and individual effort, concluding that luck plays a much more important role.

The lottery of opportunity is handed out at birth, but we have little chance of winning. This seems to be the conclusion of the thesis defended by a group of scientists led by Alessandro Pluchino, professor of Theoretical Physics and Mathematical Modelling at the University of Catania.

Pluchino and his team developed a computer model that uses simulations to analyse the distribution of wealth and success in a hypothetical population, to test the extent to which factors such as human talent and luck play a role.

The aim was to dissect to what extent the role of chance influences the widely dominant meritocratic paradigm in Western cultures, which is based on the notion that success is mainly, if not exclusively, due to personal qualities such as talent, intelligence, skills, effort or risk-taking.

How does the computer model work?

The team fed data from a hypothetical population of people with the average distribution of talent and intelligence into the simulator. The computer model then generated a simulation equivalent to a 40-year working life, introducing fortunate and unfortunate events over time, which equate to opportunities to increase or decrease wealth.

Following this method, the researchers found that, more often than not, wealth is linked to luck rather than talent: “Our model shows that while it is true that some degree of talent is necessary to succeed in life, the most talented people rarely achieve the highest peaks, being outperformed by moderately talented but significantly luckier individuals.

In the end, the team checked whether the resulting wealth distribution matched that of the real world, where 80% of the population owns 20% of the wealth. And it did, again and again. Put another way, the results confirmed that, despite differences in talent and effort, chance plays a crucial role in determining who becomes extremely wealthy. This means that many talented and hard-working people will not be rich simply because they have not been as lucky as others.

On the other hand, the simulations also showed that opportunities are unevenly distributed. People who already have certain advantages, such as a good level of education or a good network of contacts, are more likely to encounter opportunities that can lead to large economic gains, while those who start from a less privileged position often find it more difficult to access the same opportunities.

If you want to find out how to get returns on your savings with a social justice product, 11Onze recommends Litigation Funding.

La tornada a la rutina després d’unes vacances sempre ha estat una mica feixuga. Però en els darrers anys, el fenomen conegut com a “síndrome postvacacional” s’ha convertit en una realitat força comuna per a moltes persones. 

Malgrat que no es tracta d’una malaltia reconeguda, ni tampoc d’un trastorn clínic com la depressió, els seus efectes poden ser prou intensos per alterar el benestar emocional i la capacitat de concentració durant els primers dies —o setmanes— de retorn a la feina.

Aquest malestar s’expressa de formes molt diverses: 

• Algunes persones senten una sensació difusa de desgana. 
• Altres noten cansament físic sense causa aparent, dificultat per dormir, poca motivació o una irritabilitat persistent. 
• Hi ha qui se sorprèn de no reconèixer-se, de no tenir ganes de reprendre la feina ni les activitats habituals, ni tan sols les que normalment li agraden. 

En el fons, el cos i la ment estan fent un esforç d’adaptació a un canvi brusc de ritme. I aquest procés, lluny de ser immediat, pot trigar dies a resoldre’s.

Per què ens passa?

Les vacances suposen una alteració substancial de les nostres rutines. El rellotge s’atura, els horaris s’alliberen, la ment es desconnecta del soroll constant del dia a dia i recuperem una mica de control sobre el nostre temps. Aquesta sensació de llibertat, de respir, és precisament el que s’esvaeix quan arriba l’hora de tornar. I no tothom ho encara igual.

La situació actual tampoc hi ajuda. Vivim en un context marcat per la incertesa econòmica, la precarietat laboral i una exigència constant que sovint ens manté en estat d’alerta. Si a tot això hi sumem una tornada abrupta al món laboral —de vegades amb agendes plenes des del primer dia—, no és estrany que el cos i la ment protestin.

Prevenir el xoc de tornada

Aquest malestar, però, no és inevitable. De fet, es pot prevenir o, com a mínim, alleugerir si es fa una tornada intel·ligent i progressiva. El primer consell que molts especialistes comparteixen és evitar tornar de vacances el dia abans de reincorporar-se a la feina. Reservar-se dos o tres dies de transició ajuda a posar ordre, descansar, preparar la logística familiar i planificar amb calma la setmana. És un marge que ens permet reconnectar a poc a poc amb la realitat quotidiana.

També és útil reprendre les rutines de descans uns dies abans. Recuperar uns horaris de son més regulars —anar a dormir i llevar-se a la mateixa hora cada dia— permet que el cos es vagi reajustant. Sovint oblidem que el nostre sistema nerviós necessita pautes estables per funcionar bé, i un dels factors clau és el descans reparador.

Trobar espais de benestar dins la rutina

Un altre element fonamental per fer més suportable la tornada és mantenir alguna activitat gratificant fora de la feina. Les vacances no haurien de ser l’únic espai de plaer de l’any. Fer esport, caminar, ballar, cuinar, veure amics… qualsevol d’aquestes activitats pot ajudar a contrarestar l’estrès i estimular la producció d’endorfines, les hormones naturals del benestar. En definitiva, es tracta de no passar d’un extrem a l’altre, sinó de conservar espais de qualitat dins de la rutina.

També pot ser molt útil fixar-se petits objectius motivadors a curt termini. No cal que siguin grans fites: una excursió el cap de setmana, un concert, començar un nou curs, reprendre una afició oblidada… Qualsevol estímul positiu ens pot ajudar a veure que la vida quotidiana no és només feina i responsabilitats. I, de retruc, ens ajuda a reconstruir una certa il·lusió de cara al futur immediat.

I si el malestar no desapareix?

Ara bé, cal estar alerta si els símptomes persisteixen més enllà de les dues o tres primeres setmanes. En aquest cas, potser no estem davant d’una simple síndrome postvacacional, sinó d’una insatisfacció més profunda amb la feina, d’un desgast emocional acumulat o, fins i tot, d’un trastorn de salut mental que requereix atenció. No podem normalitzar un malestar crònic ni resignar-nos a viure amb l’ànim per terra. Si cal, convé consultar amb un professional que pugui orientar-nos.

En el fons, la síndrome postvacacional ens fa una pregunta incòmoda: vivim al ritme adequat? Si la resposta és que no, potser és hora de revisar les nostres prioritats i d’explorar formes de viure més sostenibles, més humanes. Potser la tornada a la feina no hauria de ser un xoc, sinó una oportunitat per fer les coses una mica millor.

11Onze és la fintech comunitària de Catalunya. Obre un compte descarregant l’app El Canut per Android o iOS. Uneix-te a la revolució!

Bio-construction or sustainable architecture are hashtags that go along with conventional architecture to revolutionise it, from the foundations up, with a key premise: human beings must live inside houses. An idea as obvious as it is challenging. We spoke to the architect and expert in bio-construction, Sonia Hernández-Montaño.

Have you ever wondered what materials your home has been built with, what lighting prevails, or how the distribution of spaces is affecting your mood? Arquitectura sana is the name of the project, and also the philosophy, that Sonia’s team took to Catalonia in 2009 with the aim of making our homes more habitable from a human and well-being point of view.

Most of our time is spent in enclosed spaces, but we are generally unaware of the extent to which these spaces can have a direct impact on our physical and mental health. In a new episode of People, Hernández-Montaño highlights all the elements and practices we need to take into account to improve our lives.

The unseen well-being

Construction is constantly evolving, and in recent decades has incorporated technological elements and new materials. Hernández-Montaño points out, however, that “along the way we have forgotten that there are people inside buildings, that buildings not only have to consume less energy and minimise the resources used, but that we also have to sustain life inside”. He argues that we are all architects, and we can all use this health tool to support people’s well-being.

Among the most important aspects, we find some key actions to maintain the quality of life inside the spaces, starting with ventilation, a key point if it is carried out in the right way and that can even reduce pollution that may come from outside. The second key point is lighting, the “conductor of our biological clock” which has to change according to the time of day to follow our circadian rhythm.

It is also essential to take into account and reduce the presence of pollutants in the interior spaces, an objective that is reflected in the choice of materials, whether in construction, furniture, or cleaning products. Listen to the entire conversation to discover the rest of the tips that will make your home a healthy space.

If you want to discover how to drink the best water, save money and help the planet, go to 11Onze Essentials.

There are now more mobile devices in the world than people. Mobile phones have changed the way we live, work, communicate and even our quality of life, wellbeing and health.

An app is a standalone piece of software that is made to perform a specific task and is optimised for use on smartphones, tablets or smartwatches based on the features available. Health apps are known as mobile Health (mHealth), and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) it is a “delivery of health information and services using mobile technologies”.

What is a health application?

It falls within the field of eHealth, understood as the use of communication and information technologies applied to health services (computers, mobile phones, GPS, connected medical instrument monitors, medical robots, etc.). These are computer programmes that are used on mobile platforms and are often connected to medical devices that tell us how to improve our health or prevent risks. There are also diagnostic applications for treating patients or communicating with our healthcare system.

The European Commission states that medical and public health practice is compatible with mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants and other wireless devices. It also includes in this category applications related to health information to the population, medication reminders sent by SMS, telemedicine, training and guidance systems and even lifestyle and wellness applications created with the aim of maintaining or improving the population’s healthy habits through the practice of sport and wellness.

How are they monitored and what quality criteria is used?

In Catalonia, a method for evaluating mobile health applications using objective variables, called iSYScore, has been used for some time now.

The criteria used by iSYScore to select the most suitable mobile health apps is based on the opinions of users, developers and health professionals, and is based on three key factors: popularity, trust and usefulness.

What are the problems with these applications?

Basically, the lack of loyalty. There are few apps that have achieved long-term stability. A study confirms that 70% of chronically ill people who have used them stop using them after six months. And 80% of apps are abandoned after only two weeks. To improve these figures, personalisation based on different profiles would be advisable. Each person is unique, and these apps act in a generic way.

Another problem to be faced is that of data ownership and data protection, as well as the loss of credibility the product may have if it doesn’t work for the first users who try it.

Tips for choosing a reliable application

1. Be informed: Search and compare applications on search engines such as Google. 
2. Reviews: Search forums for user opinions. 
3. List of options: Choose between 4 or 5 applications.
4. Reliability:  Make sure they are based on scientific evidence, and a good place to do this is to look for references in PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
5. Test: It would be advisable to test (try out) the application with a friend. If, for example, you suffer from insomnia, it is important that your friend does not suffer from insomnia so that you can share how it went.
6. Who is behind it? To be a quality (reliable) application, it is important that technicians, health professionals (who will be different depending on the purpose of the product) and experts in legislation and data management have been involved in the process. 
7. Obsolescence: Clinical studies require time and in the world of new technologies time passes very quickly and therefore needs to be taken into account.

Following these simple steps will ensure that the applications you use are quite reliable.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Artificial intelligence generates equal parts of admiration and rejection. The advantages of a digitalised world clash with the desire not to lose traditional practices. The fear, primarily, is of losing the human side, but what if technology could help us to enhance it?

In recent years, research in scientific fields has been strengthened thanks to the incorporation of AI, artificial intelligence. Universities, companies, and projects are joining forces to advance and improve both disease diagnosis and treatment, with special emphasis on improving the quality of life of patients, both physically and psychologically.

Artificial intelligence reaches the field of mental health and is part of this crusade, between therapists and patients, to speed up the diagnosis process, facilitate its recognition and improve the precision of each treatment.

Algorithms to prevent disease

In everything that affects mental health, the prevention factor is key. For this reason, entities, companies, and organisations are joining forces – increasingly sophisticated – to make tools available to the population that facilitate the process of asking for help. Diagnosis, treatment, and recovery depend on this first step.

Countries such as the United States have taken action, and more and more research centres are turning to AI. We find projects such as The Trevor Project, which, through AI, has created a safe space for the LGBTQI+ community, especially as a support for young people. The reason is as simple as it is worrying: they estimate that in the United States alone, 1.8 million young people consider suicide every year, and at least one young person attempts suicide every 45 seconds. If we expand these figures, calculated only in relation to the LGBTQI+ collective, among the total population, the figures increase considerably.

Catalonia has also developed research projects and companies oriented towards AI for mental health. For example, the STOP Project, led by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, is aimed at detecting depression and preventing suicide and eating disorders. They do this thanks to an algorithm that acts focused on social networks, a space where users are especially vulnerable. Thanks to the latest campaigns carried out, the project has managed to increase by 60% the calls to the Telèfon de l’Esperança, a foundation that accompanies all those who feel lonely or may need help.

The right words can save lives

AI has made it possible to take a step forward, and businesses from different fields are creating algorithms to help. The first advantage of digital tools is accessibility, allowing therapeutic resources to be at hand anywhere and at any time. This is a key advantage, although it may minimise its effect on profiles of people who are not very technological or without resources.

The sophistication of AI systems is such that they are capable of analysing the patient’s behaviour, facial expressions, tone of voice, or the language they use. With all this data, the X-ray of a patient can be much more realistic, and the diagnosis more accurate. Two key factors in mental health, especially if we take into account that half of the patients receive erroneous diagnoses, according to Aimentia, a Catalan company that develops digital tools for professionals in the field of mental health.

Other algorithms go further and analyse conversations between patients and therapists with the aim of providing professionals with a more accurate approach when communicating with patients. The goal of all these projects is clear: to get mental health problems, which according to the WHO affect one in four people, treated and cured.

11Onze is the fintech community of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut on Android and Apple and join the revolution!

MyRealFood app was launched two years ago and has already had more than two million users. It scans everything we eat to find out if it is healthy, and recommends simple recipes to help us cook more conscientiously. With a single application, consumer rights are defended and, at the same time, new eating habits are promoted. Sofia Belenguer, co-founder of the project, explains it to us in a new episode of People.

Beyond scanning all the products found in supermarkets and supermarkets, Belenguer explains that MyRealFood brings together more than 130,000 recipes, many of them created by the users themselves, who make up an active community where they exchange favourite foods, recommend products and can even sign up for nutritional plans by subscription. “The app works for the community and so that you can lead a healthier life,” the CEO summarises.

The project was born out of the food concerns of a group of young people from different fields: Sofia Belenguer herself, the nutritionist Carlos Ríos, the current CTO David Vicente and Toni Mancha. Belenguer, who is a lawyer by training, began to wonder why, as a consumer, she was unable to tell from the product label whether what she was buying was healthy enough. And she realised that the same thing was happening to her colleagues and friends.

“I realised that I lacked a lot of nutritional training and that I had to educate myself,” she recalls. And that is how the project expanded. Belenguer argues that, on the one hand, there is not enough nutritional education and, on the other, food advertising does not help either. The combination of one thing and the other creates a breeding ground that prevents us from knowing what we eat and how to improve our diet.

The nutritional table, but above all, the ingredients.

And what is important to analyse when we buy a product? “It is crucial to look at what ingredients the product contains, and in what quantities, information that can be found in the nutritional table,” Belenguer answers. This is where the app is of great help: “Using our own algorithm, which marks from 0 to 100, from least to most healthy, we can know whether a product is healthy or not,” the CEO summarises. 

Do you want to know how MyRealFood has become a reference app for consumers, but also for food companies? Do you want to learn how to have healthier habits? Listen to the whole conversation!

11Onze is the fintech community of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut on Android and Apple and join the revolution!

All citizens of our country have the right to access public healthcare, which, despite its shortcomings, is considered one of the most efficient in the world. Even so, the collapse of primary care has meant that the number of users of private health services is increasing year after year. Iu Alemany, Director of Back Office and Customer Service at 11Onze, proposes some concepts, so we can continue a recurring debate.

According to a study carried out in 2022 by the IDIS Foundation, the private healthcare sector accounts for 29.4% of total healthcare spending in Spain. This figure has risen to 33,398 million euros, representing 2.7% of GDP, which added to public-private collaboration totals 3.36% of GDP.

The increased purchasing power of the population and long waiting lists have highlighted the advantages of private healthcare. Even so, the collapse of public healthcare and the large number of people taking out low-priced private health insurance just to access diagnostic tests, or for specialities such as dermatology, gynaecology or pneumatology, is also putting pressure on the private sector. As Alemany explains, “with private healthcare you have direct access to the specialist, but appointments are not so immediate, and there are more and more waiting lists”.

Private healthcare as a complement to public healthcare

Although budget cuts and lack of investment have highlighted the limitations of public healthcare, the pandemic has accentuated its importance. As Alemany points out, “what would have happened if it had been managed solely and exclusively by private healthcare? It scares me to think about it”.

The quality of healthcare and the greater investment in medical equipment in the public sector means that it has better resources and specialists to treat the most serious illnesses. This means that, in the event of complications, even private insurance companies refer their patients to the public sector.

On the other hand, the business model of private healthcare is based on profit and economic profitability, leaving aside the principles of solidarity in public healthcare. However, in the current context, it is clear that collaboration between the two models is necessary to guarantee the viability of the healthcare system, at least until public healthcare has the funding it deserves.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Emporarom, Aromes de l’Empordà, is a business that produces aromatic and medicinal plants, grown on different plots of land located in Empordà. In a new People podcast, Pere Coll, one of the founding partners, tells us about the project and the different products they make from these plants.

From the union of the words Empordà and Aromáticas comes the name Emporarom, producers of aromatic, culinary and medicinal plants from Empordà who have joined forces to develop and market various products, recovering the popular knowledge of the plants in their natural environment.

Aromes de l’Empordà cultivates many of the plants found in the wild or in the garden at home: rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, mint, and fennel… All of them are grown organically on small plots of land by the sea, where the entire production process is done traditionally, respecting natural resources and preserving the environment.

A sensory experience

The infusions spearhead the work they do to be able to offer new products that surprise the consumer. Five varieties with their own character based on Greek mythology, “we have dedicated them to Greek gods and goddesses, with blends of plants that fit their characteristics”, Coll points out.

Likewise, an extensive range of culinary condiments is complemented by sensory visits where flavoured drinks are made and culinary workshops are held with local plants and flowers. As Coll explains, “we do workshops where people can identify, smell and touch plants, while having a vermouth, gin and tonic or a ratafia”.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Twinapp is a social network that facilitates interactions between people interested in practising sport through hiking routes across our territory, without neglecting the commitment to environmental conservation. We talked about the project with Teresa Ferrés, a founding partner.

Making society aware of environmental problems and getting people involved in conserving the natural environment can be challenging. Teresa Ferrés founded the Twinapp project with this in mind. Why not combine sport with environmental awareness?

The application allows you to contact people keen on nature walks, organising and promoting outings around our territory. It is a tool that generates community through groups of people interested in running or walking in the mountains. As Ferrés explains, “sometimes it’s hard to find someone to go out with to do sport and this way you are in a community that everyone can join”.

Encouraging ‘plogging’

‘Plogging’, a fusion of the terms ‘plocka upp’, Swedish for picking up, and jogging, originated in Sweden. It is a sporting practice that combines the activity of jogging with the collection of rubbish that we find along the way. The application schedules regular outings related to this practice, including “promoting a campaign called ‘Mou-te pel mar’, which in 2019 organised four outings along the Costa Brava,” says Ferrés.

Bearing in mind that 70% of the waste that is dumped on the coast ends up at the bottom of the sea, the success of these outings, which combine sport with waste collection, is a perfect example of how the entrepreneurial and community spirit represented by Twinapp takes advantage of the possibilities for cooperation offered by social networks and new technologies.

If you want to discover how to drink the best water, save money and help the planet, go to 11Onze Essentials.