In November, BASF | Nunhems celebrated a very special trip centred around one of its major milestones, Green Queen, the first hybrid artichoke on the market.
During a press trip with specialised media, the company paid a 360-degree tribute, highlighting all the players who have made it possible for Green Queen to become, in less than a decade, the protagonist of a “radical varietal renewal in a market where the variety had not changed for 80 years.”
From field to fork
The participants followed every stage of the journey from field to fork guided by specialists: from the origin of the seed —developed by BASF | Nunhems itself— to cultivation in the Baix Llobregat, through marketing via Fruits Marcet’s stall at Mercabarna, and a visit to one of the Ametller Origen supermarkets, where consumers can choose from a wide range of premium products featuring the “queen” of artichokes.
The final highlight was a creative cooking workshop at the Alícia Foundation, showing consumers how to incorporate this product into everyday menus.
New campaign: Long Live Green Queen
Manuela García, Communication and Marketing Specialist at BASF | Nunhems, together with Bruna Alves, Roberto Ballester and María Vicente, opened the trip by presenting the company’s strategic updates: the new Almex R&D&I centre, the launch of a unified global brand image, the expansion of tomato demo farms and, within the Green Queen communication strategy, the launch of a highly emotional new campaign.
The campaign will use the claim “Long Live Green Queen” and will be “highly emotional, pure feeling”, involving all stakeholders (growers, auctions, distributors, greengrocers and chefs). Its aim is to convey tradition, origin, sustainability, profitability and an emotional bond with the crop.
Green Queen dominates the Baix Llobregat
In El Prat de Llobregat, the main horticultural production area of metropolitan Barcelona, “well over 90%” of seeded artichokes grown are Green Queen.
“First, because it has adapted very well to these soils, and second, because it maintains quality extremely well until it reaches the consumer. That explains the speed of the shift, which has been very rapid from one variety to another,” explained Roberto Ballester, Account Manager at BASF Nunhems.
The field visit took place at an Ametller Origen farm in Sant Boi. Together with BASF Nunhems, the retailer launched Carxofans, the first artichoke growers’ club, with a dual objective: expanding the range with new typologies and ensuring that artichokes reaching store shelves offer maximum quality.
During the visit, Miquel Torras, Head of Farming and Purchasing at Ametller Origen, detailed the retailer’s commitment to Green Queen:
“With this variety, and by staggering altitudes, we can supply high-quality fresh artichokes for nine to ten months of the year.”
Production starts in Soria in September, continues in Yecla, with associated growers in Torreblanca, Mont-roig and L’Aldea, followed by own production in Sant Boi, finishing again in Soria in June. The next step will be cultivation in the Pyrenees, a project already under study to cover July and August.
“At Ametller, innovation is constant. We aim to have fresh produce 12 months a year and for most of it to be our own.”
The reasons behind an unstoppable success
Green Queen has become a clear success story: it exceeds 98% market share in exports, while already accounting for well over 50% of the domestic market, despite the difficulty of quantifying acreage in a highly fragmented sector. This is due to several key characteristics:
An agronomic all-rounder
Agronomically, Green Queen is a very vigorous variety, with a root system reaching 50–60 cm, enabling good performance even in tired soils. It shows high field uniformity, low plant mortality and stable, healthy development throughout the cycle.
Average yields range between 17,000 and 18,000 kg per hectare, performing excellently in staggered plantings.
Versatile for different markets
Green Queen is classified as a small green artichoke for the domestic market, yet it can reach very large sizes (up to 800 grams) with a more rounded shape than the traditional white variety.
This flexibility allows growers to adjust calibre depending on the destination: larger heads for export and smaller ones for the domestic market, while maintaining internal quality and tenderness.
Superior post-harvest performance
Post-harvest life is another key differentiator. Artichokes maintain quality for up to five days without refrigeration and 10–12 days in the fridge without issues, improving consumer experience and reducing retail waste.
Gaining ground at Mercabarna
The next stop was Mercabarna, Barcelona’s wholesale food market, covering 110 hectares, hosting 600 companies, generating 7,500 direct jobs and welcoming up to 23,000 people on peak days.
Mercabarna markets 2.5 million tonnes of fresh produce annually, of which 2.2 million tonnes are fruit and vegetables, with 30–40% destined for export, making it a European benchmark.
Within this hub, Green Queen is advancing steadily. At Fruits Marcet, it could become dominant within two to three years.
“It currently represents 80% of our sales versus 20% for Blanca de Tudela —unthinkable four or five years ago. At this pace, Green Queen could reach 95%,” said Xavier Marcet and Anna Rincón Marcet.
Even the processing industry, traditionally linked to Tudela, has already accepted the hybrid. Initial consumer resistance eventually gave way to agronomic, commercial and post-harvest advantages.
Ametller Origen: freshness as a hallmark
The final consumer-facing link in the chain finds one of its best examples at Ametller Origen, which boasts the highest proportion of fresh fruit and vegetable display.
At its flagship store on Numancia Street in Barcelona, quality and presentation are central to the strategy.
“The product is the star of our store, and we also value talent and craftsmanship to help consumers. Our customers ask a lot about how to cook different products,” explained Franc Marin Camp, Head of Communication.
Green Queen stands out during peak season for its flavour, size and excellent shelf life.
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The chain operates around 150 stores in Catalonia and Andorra, with a diverse customer profile depending on location.
“Our goal is for fresh produce to attract as many people as possible. We keep opening new stores.”
Culinary finale at the Alícia Foundation
The Green Queen route concluded at the Alícia Foundation, co-founded and chaired by Ferran Adrià, where gastronomy, science and health converge.
Participants took part in a creative cooking workshop showcasing the versatility of the artichoke —a perfect finale to a journey that demonstrated, from seed to plate, the revolution brought about by this variety.
The journey ends here, but the story does not. Long live Green Queen!
