The history of the Spanish and Galician canning industry is explained in family terms. And that’s because in this sector, the family business was and continues to be the norm even after many of them adopted the modern forms of corporations and internationalized. This is the starting point of the book “Las familias de la conserva: el sector de las conservas de pescados a través de sus sagas familiares”, coordinated by Xoán Carmona, professor of History and Economic Institutions at the University of Santiago.
The book analyzes thirty family sagas of the sector, from the mid-19th century, when the packaging of fish made the leap from craftsmanship to industry, to the present day. They played a leading role in the creation of one of the most important sectors of the Galician industry and which served to push others, such as metallurgical or fishing. In the case of Vigo, in particular, it was the seed of the current industrial reality of the city.
This is what Carmona points out, who details that for the election of the thirty sagas studied in the book, it was based on the premise that they had to add at least three generations – there are some that are already in the sixth generation – and also to give entry to others that, although more recent, are very representative of the sector for different reasons. But they are all at least 50 years old. The publication portrays 25 Galician sagas and 5 Basques, including names that are almost part of the collective heritage of Galicia.
For Carmona, in spite of the vicissitudes and difficulties experienced over almost 150 years,”this sector’s success story is the history of a success story, as shown by the fact that almost all competitors, such as France or Portugal, have been disappearing while those here are still there and which is also a sector comparable to any of the great ones in the industrial sector”.