Raúl Sanz, president of the Interprofessional Beef Organization (PROVACUNO), received the 2026 Food of Spain Award for Internationalization from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the Teatro Real in Madrid, in recognition of PROVACUNO’s work for the internationalization of Spanish beef, including the opening and consolidation of new international markets.
Since its inception, PROVACUNO has actively participated in collaboration with Spanish public administrations and companies in the sector in opening markets such as Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, Qatar, Canada, Egypt, Kuwait, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, going from 196,000 tons exported in 2017 for a value of 693 million euros to more than 230,000 tons in 2025 for a value of 1,750 million euros.
The main destinations for Spanish exports continue to be European Union countries, such as Portugal, Italy and France, but third countries such as Algeria, in the case of beef, or Ivory Coast, in the case of offal products, are acquiring increasing relevance as interesting and consolidating markets.
This award recognizes the work carried out by the interprofessional organization in opening many markets, but also in the training, preparation and advice of those responsible for exports in Spanish companies, the activities of presenting the product in third countries and the consolidation in Europe and the countries of recent opening.
For Raúl Sanz, president of PROVACUNO, this award represents recognition of the collective effort made by the entire sector: “Receiving the Food of Spain Award for Internationalization is a source of pride for PROVACUNO and, above all, recognition of the work that companies in the sector, the interprofessional organization, and public administrations have carried out together for years. Spain has exceptionally high-quality beef, and we have a sector prepared to compete in international markets. Our goal is to continue opening doors, consolidating the markets where we are already present, and supporting Spanish companies in their international growth.”
“We are very pleased to have been able to contribute to the success of the internationalization of the Spanish beef sector and we are very happy to have met the expectations of a growing sector in the foreign market,” adds José Ramón Godoy, director of the International area of PROVACUNO.
A trajectory of opening markets
A significant part of this activity is carried out through European promotion programs co-financed by the European Union, including What a Wonderful Beef, developed between 2018 and 2024 in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan; EU Beef Asia , between 2022 and 2025 in China and South Korea; and It’s Time for European Beef , currently under development, between 2024 and 2027, in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.
These programs are complemented by collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, through the activities contemplated in the framework agreement signed with the interprofessional meat organizations for the external promotion of these products, as well as joint work with ICEX Spain Export and Investment to boost the presence of Spanish beef in third countries.
Currently, PROVACUNO is working with the relevant stakeholders to advance the opening of the South Korean market, while also exploring new opportunities for exporting beef and other meat products to destinations such as Mexico.
