Mastika L’Horta: Cultivating Health, Community, and the Future of Local Food Systems

In the heart of Valencia’s fertile landscape, Mastika L’Horta is growing far more than vegetables. Led by producer and founder Bruno Muñoz, this small but impactful ecological farm is cultivating a model of healthy food, community collaboration, and sustainable agriculture rooted in the huerta’s long-standing traditions. “We are ecological farmers,” Bruno explains. “We produce organic vegetables that generate health, and you can find them in our online store.” At Mastika L’Horta, the process is entirely in their hands. From preparing the land and planting to harvesting and packaging each order, everything is done with care and without intermediaries. Alongside their own production, they also collaborate with other local farmers and small businesses to offer a greater variety while strengthening their territory’s agricultural fabric.

Bruno’s story with organic farming began in 2014. Due to health and dietary changes, he began growing organic produce for his own consumption. The impact was life-changing. “Since that helped me heal,” he recalls, “I eventually began creating what is now Mastika L’Horta.” What started as a personal necessity has grown into a project with multiple outlets: an online shop, a stall at Ruzafa Market, and participation in Horta Markets, Valencia’s weekly farmers’ markets. For the past two years, Mastika L’Horta has also collaborated with Horta-Cuina, bringing fresh organic produce into school canteens. The goal: expand to hospitals and public institutions, amplify farmer-to-farmer collaboration, and continue growing as a united agricultural community.

Bruno strongly believes in fostering business and partnership models between public entities and local farmers. “Schools, hospitals, and local councils can promote the consumption of local, proximity products from the huerta,” he says. This approach reinforces sustainability, the kilometre zero philosophy, and environmental responsibility, while offering high-quality organic foods that nourish both people and the soil. Such support is urgently needed. “The primary sector is struggling to keep its head above water,” Bruno notes. “The more support local farmers receive, the better we can stay in the fields and keep rural areas alive.”

For Bruno, short food supply chains are essential for rebuilding a healthy agricultural sector. They reduce carbon emissions by shortening transportation distances, strengthening local economies, and allowing farmers to earn a living from their work. “When we sell here in Valencia,” he says, “we’re polluting much less than if products were coming from Africa, as is increasingly common.” Prioritising local production reduces environmental impact and protects Valencia’s farmland. Otherwise, he warns, “our food sovereignty is lost, and that also affects our health.”

Bruno sees the future clearly: it depends on people choosing fresh, local, high-quality foods directly from farmers’ hands. The alternative (unripe, preserved, low-quality products shipped from afar) harms both the land and the rural sector. He calls for both citizens and public institutions to make that shift. “The easiest way to help farmers is by buying from them. Not just through subsidies, but through real sales.” Bruno speaks from experience. He personally healed through local, organic, balanced eating. “In the end, it’s what’s best for the planet, and for us.”

To strengthen this movement, Bruno highlights the crucial role of initiatives such as EU4Advice. “We need more projects like EU4Advice to improve visibility for the rural world and farmers, and to promote local sales while raising awareness of their benefits for rural areas, the land, and society.” He believes these efforts are vital to counteract the decline of Europe’s agricultural and rural sectors. “We need them to grow, so we can provide high-quality, local food to our communities across Europe.”

Mastika L’Horta stands as a powerful example of how ecological farming, community cooperation, and local food systems can transform not only our diets but also our territories, ensuring a healthier future for people, Europe, and the planet as a whole.