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Made in Escobar - Kitchens with Identity

We promote the formalization and food safety of home-based culinary ventures, transforming home kitchens into engines of local development.

Municipality

AR
Escobar, Buenos Aires,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Economic development, Social economy

Type of investment needed

Subsidy

Associated SDGs

The challenge

In Escobar, 2,500 food entrepreneurs (Register of Social Economy Entrepreneurs REDES), mostly women, operate informally from home, creating health risks and limiting their commercial growth.

The project

This +i project seeks to transform the reality of 2,500 food entrepreneurs in Escobar, who currently operate informally from their home kitchens. Through a systemic and collaborative approach, the initiative proposes the creation of a local food production system that, for the first time, recognizes and regulates home kitchens as an integral part of the local economy. The goal is to turn the formalization of a barrier into an accessible opportunity that empowers families and strengthens the municipality's productive fabric.

The overall objectives include promoting the formalization and strengthening of these ventures, promoting their integration as recognized economic actors. To achieve this, the project focuses on:

  • Designing and implementing an inclusive regulatory framework to regulate home kitchens.
  • Strengthening the capacities of entrepreneurs through training and technical support.
  • Consolidating the quality control infrastructure with a food science laboratory and the “Made in Escobar” seal.
  • Enabling and equipping community spaces for food production.

The initiative is innovative because it was developed through a process of co-creation with the community, adapting regulations, infrastructure, and procedures to the local reality of entrepreneurs. This allows for the recognition and formalization of an existing practice, transforming formalization into an accessible and empowering opportunity with a clear strategic value: improving public health, boosting the local economy, and promoting social inclusion, especially for women entrepreneurs.

Know more...

Escobar, located in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires, 50 km from the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, has experienced exponential growth in the last decade, exceeding 250,000 inhabitants (2022 Census). This development has been evident in both housing and the economy, with a notable boost in industry, commerce, and the promotion of autonomous productive activities. Despite national economic contractions, Escobar has maintained an upward trajectory, with a substantial increase in commercial registrations granted in 2024.

However, in this context of growth, there remains a problem of informality and precariousness in food production from home kitchens. This situation affects 2,500 food entrepreneurs, mostly women (75%), who, without regulatory frameworks or access to formal marketing spaces, face public health risks due to the lack of food safety and see their capacity for economic growth limited. This reproduces a cycle of precariousness that directly impacts their families and the community.

The causes of this problem are multifactorial. On the one hand, the economic crisis drives the need for low-investment productive activities to generate income. On the other hand, most of the enterprises are led by women, who must balance production with caregiving tasks, making it difficult to access formal employment. Added to this is the lack of adequate administrative, legislative, and licensing tools, as well as a digital divide that creates fear or difficulty in accessing online procedures.

The design of this initiative arose from in-depth collaborative work, including two meetings with the network for change and exchange with food entrepreneurs, the Job Training Center, the Undersecretary of Inspection and Licensing, and civil organizations such as the Freire Foundation and the NGO La Flecha. This process revealed that local food production has a critical public health dimension and that initial solutions, such as the creation of a community processing room, did not fit the real work dynamics of entrepreneurs. Thus, a proposal was co-created that includes a local food science laboratory, a simplified licensing process, and a decentralized in-person training modality, ensuring that the solution responds to everyday practices and contributes to sustainable local development.


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  • Training and Formalization for Entrepreneurs: Training cycles in food handling and management, certifying 300 entrepreneurs over 10 months.
  • Home Kitchen Certification: Effective campaign and simplified process to formalize 250 kitchens, with personalized advice for 150 entrepreneurs over 12 months.
  • Strengthening of Community Kitchens: Survey and equipping of 6 existing community kitchens with machinery, supplies, and licensing over 3 months.
  • “Made in Escobar” Quality Seal: Inauguration of a food science laboratory to analyze products and award the seal to 85 entrepreneurs, with support for those who do not meet the standards over 12 months.
  • Local Fairs and Businesses: Strengthening existing sales spaces and creating new ones, enabling 50 businesses to market their products and participate in fairs over 12 months.

Direct results:

  • 300 entrepreneurs trained: Food entrepreneurs completing the training cycle and obtaining their certification.
  • 250 home kitchens formalized: Entrepreneurs beginning the simplified licensing process for their kitchens.
  • 6 community kitchens strengthened: Production spaces equipped and licensed for use by entrepreneurs.
  • 1 food science laboratory in operation: Infrastructure for product analysis and quality control.
  • 85 “Made in Escobar” seals awarded: Entrepreneurs obtaining quality certification for their products.
  • 50 businesses marketing their products: Food entrepreneurs selling their products at local fairs and shops.

Expected impact:

  • Increase the formalization of home-based food businesses in Escobar by 50% by the end of 2025, improving food security and family income.
  • Reduce informality and health risks associated with home food production, strengthening the local economy and empowering women entrepreneurs in the same period.

María Elena Albamonte: Director General of Social Economy, Municipality of Escobar.

María Sol Spallanzani: Technical Team for Social Economy, Municipality of Escobar.

Analia García: Coordinator, Paulo Freire Comprehensive Education and Trade Center.

La Flecha Civil Association (https://www.laflecha.org.ar/)

Job Training Center 402 (https://www.instagram.com/cfl_402/?hl=es)

Escobar Crea Worker Cooperative (https://www.instagram.com/tiendaydespensa/)

Provincial Directorate of Food Industries and Products (DIPA) (https://www.gba.gob.ar/desarrollo_agrario/dipa)


Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Sillas y mesas

u$s 600.00

u$s 600.00

u$s 0.00

Proyector

u$s 1246.00

u$s 1246.00

u$s 0.00

Computadoras

u$s 1270.00

u$s 1270.00

u$s 0.00

Impresión de folletos para difusión

u$s 400.00

u$s 400.00

u$s 0.00

Material de estudio

u$s 1210.00

u$s 1210.00

u$s 0.00

Cocina industrial (*) (**)

u$s 2880.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2880.00

Heladera (*) (**)

u$s 3996.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3996.00

Freezer (*) (**)

u$s 2280.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2280.00

Amasadora (*) (**)

u$s 1482.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1482.00

Batidora (*) (**)

u$s 3198.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3198.00

Balanza (*) (**)

u$s 174.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 174.00

Olla de aluminio 50 lts (*) (**)

u$s 919.92

u$s 0.00

u$s 919.92

Horno convector (*) (**)

u$s 9600.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 9600.00

Multiprocesadora (*) (**)

u$s 840.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 840.00

Modulo prefabricado (*) (**)

u$s 20000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 20000.00

Impresora (*) (**)

u$s 292.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 292.00

Microscopio (*) (**)

u$s 1100.00

u$s 1100.00

u$s 0.00

Mesada de acero inoxidable de 1,90 x 0,61 mts con bacha de 0,68 x 0,45 (*) (**)

u$s 352.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 352.00

Estanteria metalica (*) (**)

u$s 94.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 94.00

Estufa de cultivo (*) (**)

u$s 1566.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1566.00

Mechero (*) (**)

u$s 78.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 78.00

Termómetro (*) (**)

u$s 11.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 11.00

PH metro-digital (*) (**)

u$s 195.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 195.00

Refractómetro (*) (**)

u$s 56.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 56.00

Reactivos (*) (**)

u$s 30.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 30.00

Placas de Petri 90x15mm Plastica Esteril x 10 (*) (**)

u$s 49.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 49.00

Pipetas plásticas 3ml x 100 un (*) (**)

u$s 16.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 16.00

Tubo Medio Ensayo Vidrio Boro 3.3 16x100 (*) (**)

u$s 20.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 20.00

Medios de Cultivo (*) (**)

u$s 78.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 78.00

Recipiente de 300 lts de acero inoxidable de agua destilada con cañerías correspondientes (*) (**)

u$s 91.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 91.00

Freezer horizontal (*) (**)

u$s 560.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 560.00

Gazebos (*) (**)

u$s 260.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 260.00

Impresión de folletos para difusión

u$s 400.00

u$s 400.00

u$s 0.00

Human resources
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Tallerista

u$s 1280.00

u$s 1280.00

u$s 0.00

Diseñador de página web

u$s 900.00

u$s 900.00

u$s 0.00

Personal administrativo 1

u$s 12000.00

u$s 12000.00

u$s 0.00

Personal administrativo 2

u$s 12000.00

u$s 12000.00

u$s 0.00

Personal técnico de laboratorio

u$s 50400.00

u$s 50400.00

u$s 0.00

Personal administrativo

u$s 33600.00

u$s 33600.00

u$s 0.00

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 165523.92

u$s 116406.00

u$s 49117.92

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