Land Tenure & Agricultural Policies in Spain: An Overview
Land Tenure and Agricultural Practices in Spain
Land Ownership
Land tenure refers to the degree of dominion over land. Latifundios are large estates comprising over 50% of the land, owned by a small percentage of individuals. Conversely, smallholdings represent a smaller portion of the land (10%) but are owned by a larger proportion of the population (52%).
Agricultural Practices
Agriculture in Spain often involves a combination of farming or ranching with other occupations like industry, construction, or services. Fallowing, or leaving land to rest, is a common practice to improve soil fertility. Parcelling aims to divide smallholdings into smaller, individual parcels.
Types of Agriculture
- Intensive agriculture involves irrigation and can yield multiple crops per year, commonly used for fruits and vegetables.
- Extensive agriculture relies on natural rainfall and produces a single crop, with yields dependent on environmental conditions.
- Industrial agriculture focuses on pre-industrial processing for consumption.
Irrigation
Irrigated agriculture supplements rainfall with additional water, reducing reliance on unpredictable weather patterns. Intensive irrigation, used in both open fields and greenhouses, allows for multiple harvests. Extensive irrigation supports a single crop with higher yields.
Livestock Farming
- Extensive livestock farming relies on natural grasslands or stubble for feed.
- Intensive livestock farming involves housing and feeding animals, often with supplemental feed.
Rural Settlement
Rural settlement encompasses all settlements in rural areas. Agro-cities are large rural settlements that function similarly to cities despite their rural location.
Agricultural and Fisheries Policies
Rural Agricultural Policy (PAC)
The PAC focuses on land ownership and promotes agricultural modernization to enhance competitiveness and yields. This modernization can lead to lower prices.
EU Structural Funds
The EU Structural Funds support the development of less prosperous regions. The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) finances agricultural structural policy and modernization. The European Social Fund (ESF) promotes professional employment in rural areas.
Fisheries Policy
Fishing involves obtaining food resources from marine or fluvial environments. Coastal fishing occurs within 60 miles of the coast. High-seas fleets operate further offshore and utilize industrial fishing methods. The Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) is an EU fund that supports structural measures in the fisheries sector, particularly modernization and diversification.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture involves farming marine resources and has emerged as a potential solution to address the deficit in fishery products.
Industrial Crisis and Restructuring
Causes of the Crisis
External Causes
- Rising energy costs
- Exhaustion of the previous technological cycle
- Emergence of new technologies and industries
- Globalization and competition from newly industrialized countries (NICs)
Internal Causes
- Structural deficiencies in Spanish industry
- Historical circumstances
Industrial Restructuring
Industrial restructuring was implemented to address the crisis. It involved two main approaches:
- Treatment of declining industries to ensure their medium-term sustainability. This involved adjusting supply to demand and eliminating excess capacity.
- Re-industrialization, which focused on technological modernization of viable sectors and the creation of new industries. Zones for Urgent Reindustrialization (ZUR) were established to support companies relocating or expanding in these areas.