Key Aspects of Agricultural Development in Spain
Land Tenure and Farm Regimes in Spain
Spanish agriculture faces challenges such as owner absenteeism, inefficient resource utilization, and limited land cultivation. The farm serves as the basic unit for a range of agricultural activities.
Understanding Farm Regimes
Land tenure refers to the relationship established between the land operator and the property owner. We distinguish between two main regimes:
- Direct Tendency Regime: Occurs when the owner and the operator of the land are the same person. This is the most common regime in Spain.
- Indirect Tendency Regime: Occurs when the land operator is not the owner. The relationship between the owner and farmer is established through contracts:
- Partnership Contracts: The farmer or livestock owner pays a share of their harvest or production to the owner.
- Lease Agreements: A sum of money is paid to the owner for the use of the land.
Farm Structure and Key Challenges
The structure of Spanish agricultural holdings is imbalanced, characterized by a large number of owners possessing very little land. Another significant problem is excessive land fragmentation, which hinders mechanization and leads to the loss of agricultural land.
Technical Progress in Spanish Agriculture
Agricultural productivity in Spain has significantly increased since the early 1960s, thanks to the incorporation of technical and scientific advancements. Key areas of progress include:
- Mechanization: The widespread mechanization of agriculture and livestock farming.
- Fertilizers and Pesticides: The extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides, which restore nutrients to the soil and control pests.
- Irrigation Systems: Expansion of irrigated areas through improved systems. The most commonly used types are:
- Traditional Flood Irrigation: Based on a network of channels and reservoirs.
- Spray Irrigation: Water is sprinkled under pressure.
- Drip Irrigation: Provides water drop by drop, significantly decreasing consumption.
- Seed and Livestock Breed Selection: Development and selection of improved seeds and livestock breeds, leading to increased yields and specialized production.
- Livestock Feed: The use of specialized livestock feed.
- Computerization: Introduction of computerization in agricultural practices.
- Genetic Engineering: Advances in genetic engineering have led to genetically manipulated transgenic crops.
- New Cultivation Techniques: Implementation of new cultivation techniques that increase productivity and allow for better yields.
Agricultural Policy in Spain
Spanish agrarian policies can be distinguished into two main stages: before joining the European Union and after.
Agricultural Policy Before EU Accession
The Physiocrats advocated agriculture as the spatial basis of national wealth, while Enlightenment thinkers emphasized the need for agrarian reform. Two important policy performances stand out:
- Confiscation Policies: Began in the 19th century, bringing the majority of land owned by “dead hands” (e.g., church, municipalities) into service.
- Extension of Irrigation: Efforts to expand irrigated areas.
Agricultural Policy During Franco’s Regime
This period focused on technical performance, the extension of irrigation, and colonization policies. In 1939, the National Institute of Colonization was created with the aim of expanding irrigated areas and increasing production. This also involved the creation of new villages in areas with severe unemployment and social tensions, and the distribution of small plots of land to settlers through the state’s purchase of “excess” land from large landowners.
The balance of this policy was mixed. While the irrigated surface increased dramatically thanks to direct government intervention, other aspects were less successful. The policy of land consolidation, followed in the 1950s, aimed at increasing yields. The balance of the land consolidation policy was positive regarding the reduction in the number of plots and an increase in their size. A pricing policy was systematically practiced by the Francoist regime and continued during the democratic stage before 1986.