Inclusive yogurts: How a Catalan brand redefined work for people with disabilities

The Catalan yogurt brand La Fageda has recently made international headlines after it was revealed that a Catalan woman who lived to be 117 years old consumed three of these yogurts every day.

In Catalonia, the brand is already well-known, not only for the taste of its yogurts but also for its strong social mission. La Fageda is a non-profit project, and most of its workers are people with disabilities.

The project dates back to the 1970s, when psychiatrist Cristóbal Colón was deeply affected by what he witnessed while working in the so-called 'manicomis' (mental asylums), which were harsh and dehumanizing environments.

"He had a dream, a utopian idea: to create a company for people with mental illness, helping them escape those places where they didn't really live, they just survived," explains Ester Carreras, head of communication at La Fageda, in an interview with Catalan News.

In 1982, Colón founded La Fageda with his wife, and the project has continued to grow ever since. Today, it is a foundation that supports, integrates, and employs around 600 people, and has even become a case study at Harvard University. 

"Currently, around 350 people work at La Fageda earning a salary, most of them individuals with a certified disability, mental illness, or from a vulnerable background," Carreras says. 

In addition, around 300 more people with disabilities, who may not be able to work, are also supported by La Fageda. The foundation offers not only workplaces but also training, care services, education, and housing for participants. 

"All the benefits we generate at the end of the year are reinvested in the project to continue creating job opportunities, training programs, and services for people in vulnerable situations throughout the Garrotxa region," Carreras adds. 

'Here I am allowed not to feel well'

Bernat is one of La Fageda's newest members. He is currently in the pre-labour stage, a kind of internship period where participants begin doing various jobs, getting used to a work routine, and exploring different departments. 

"It's like an internship. It helps me get used to the routine before starting a proper job. It can last from one to three years, until you get into the rhythm," Bernat explains. 

After working in three areas, jams, kitchen, and customer service, he finally found his place. 

"I'm a very social person and like to chat, so I enjoy being with customers," he says. 

Bernat describes the change from a regular job in a hotel to working at La Fageda as "a big step forward." 

"I worked for three years in a regular hotel, and sometimes the challenges in a normal company are very different from those here," he says. 

He adds that at La Fageda, he feels "understood and supported," and that the work environment is much more flexible than in a conventional company. 

"If one day you're sick, you can actually be sick. If you're stressed or not feeling well, they let you not feel well. In a normal job, you have to work whether you like it or not, unless you take sick leave. It's another world here," he concludes.