Analysis of Agrarian Structures and Land Use in Spain
Land Plot Classifications and Agricultural Practices
Land plot classifications, such as latifundios (large estates) and minifundios (smallholdings), significantly influence land ownership distribution. Latifundios comprise over 50% of the land, owned by a small percentage of individuals, while minifundios represent a smaller portion of the land with a larger number of owners. The degree of dominion over land, whether direct or indirect, impacts agricultural practices. Fallowing, leaving land uncultivated for a period, serves as a natural fertilizer. Parcelling aims to consolidate smallholdings, providing each owner with a single or a few parcels.
Types of Agriculture
- Part-time agriculture combines farming or ranching with other occupations like industry, construction, or services.
- Irrigated agriculture supplements rainfall with additional water, reducing dependence on unpredictable weather patterns. Intensive irrigation, used in outdoor or greenhouse settings, allows for multiple harvests per year, focusing on fruits and vegetables. Extensive irrigation supports a single, higher-yielding crop.
- Extensive livestock farming relies on natural grasslands or stubble for feed, while intensive farming involves housed and controlled feeding.
- Industrial agriculture necessitates pre-industrial processing for consumption. Intensive agriculture and irrigation often lead to increased fallow periods and reduced weight gain in livestock.
Rural Settlements and Agricultural Policies
Rural settlements encompass various population centers in rural areas, including agrociudades, which function as rural hubs despite their city-like size. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) focuses on modernizing agriculture to enhance competitiveness and yields, often leading to lower prices. EU structural funds support improvements in poorer regions, with the EAGGF financing agricultural modernization and development. The European Social Fund (ESF) promotes professional training and employment in rural areas.
Agricultural Techniques
- Padding involves covering the soil with plastic bands.
- Sanding prepares the ground with layers of manure and sand.
- Hydroponics cultivates plants in gravel, sand, or ashes, feeding them with inorganic salt solutions.
Fishing and Aquaculture
Fishing encompasses efforts to obtain food resources from marine or fluvial environments. Coastal fishing occurs within 60 miles of the coast, while high-seas fleets operate further offshore, incorporating industrial processes. The FIFG, an EU structural fund, finances measures to modernize and diversify fishing activities, particularly in struggling areas. Aquaculture, utilizing advanced oceanographic techniques, offers a solution to fishery product deficits.
Agricultural Landscapes in Spain
Spain’s diverse agricultural landscapes vary by region:
- Wetland areas: Dispersed settlements, smallholdings, livestock (cattle), orchards, forestry, and furniture/paper industries.
- Interior Peninsula: Concentrated settlements, smallholdings, rainfed/irrigated agriculture, meadows, livestock, and forestry.
- Castilian region: Livestock and dryland farming in the Ebro depression, pasture in Extremadura, and forest in Soria.
- Mediterranean region: Large, dispersed populations, irrigated/rainfed land, horticulture, floriculture, livestock (cattle, swine, sheep, goats), and forestry.
- Mountain areas: Low population densities, small properties, varied land use, orchards, livestock (cattle, sheep), and forestry.
- Canary Islands: Declining, concentrated population, small-acreage agriculture, monoculture in coastal areas, rainfed agriculture in higher zones, limited livestock, and forestry.