Modern Agriculture in Spain: Transformations and Trends
Agricultural Activity in Spain
Traditional vs. Modern Agriculture
Traditional Spanish agriculture relied on polyculture and labor-intensive techniques, resulting in low yields primarily for domestic consumption. Modern agriculture, however, has undergone significant transformations in structure and production.
a) Structural Changes in Agriculture
Key changes include specialization, modernization, and intensification:
Specialization
– Agriculture is increasingly specializing in regionally suitable products.
Modernization
- Increased mechanization with tractors, combines, and cultivators, although cooperative use is limited.
- Greater use of pesticides and fertilizers, particularly in demanding irrigation systems.
- Adoption of selected and genetically modified seeds for resilience against drought, frost, and pests.
- Implementation of new techniques like mulching, sanding, greenhouses, and hydroponics.
- Mulching involves covering the soil with plastic bands.
- Sanding prepares the ground with manure and sand layers for moisture retention and fertilization.
- Greenhouses create warm, humid microclimates for accelerated maturity and multiple harvests.
- Hydroponics, or soilless cultivation, uses gravel, sand, or ashes to support plant roots and provides nutrient solutions.
Intensification
– Intensive agriculture is becoming more prevalent than extensive agriculture.
- Expansion of Irrigation: Government initiatives have significantly increased irrigated land throughout the 20th century.
- Intensive irrigation, used for fruits and vegetables, is common in greenhouses and open fields.
- Extensive irrigation systems improve yields for single crops, often mirroring neighboring dryland crops but with added industrial or fodder crops.
- Irrigation Distribution: Irrigation is unevenly distributed, with scarcity in the north and concentration in the Mediterranean climate zone, particularly along riverbanks.
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Irrigation: Intensive irrigation offers economic benefits but also presents challenges such as inefficient water use, overexploitation of water resources, and conflicts with urban, industrial, and tourism demands.
- Reduction of Fallow Land: The practice of leaving land fallow is declining due to the adoption of seed or half-fallow methods, reducing rest periods.
- Fallow Land Distribution: Fallow land is scarce in the north and the lower Guadalquivir valley.
b) Changes in Agricultural Production
Agricultural production constitutes 61.4% of the final agricultural output and has witnessed significant shifts in its components:
Cereals
– Cereals occupy 34.8% of cultivated land, with a shift towards livestock feed production.
– Dryland cultivation is prevalent in the interior peninsula, often alternating with fallow or legumes, except for maize and rice.
Legumes
– Legumes are consumed fresh or dry, with some used for livestock feed.
– Despite similar acreage to cereals, production has declined due to mechanization challenges.
Vineyards
– Vineyards are primarily dryland shrubs, producing grapes for consumption and winemaking.
– Castilla-La Mancha is the main producing area, with smaller but significant regions like Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas, and others.
Olive Trees
– Olive trees are drought-resistant and primarily cultivated for oil production.
– Production is concentrated in southern Spain.
Fruits and Vegetables
– Fruits and vegetables are consumed fresh or processed for canning.
– Production areas are located in irrigated mainland and island regions, except for almonds.
- Vegetables are grown near urban centers and along the Mediterranean coast.
- Fruit production is concentrated in coastal and inland irrigated valleys.
Flower Industry
– The flower industry is gaining importance in the Canary Islands and Catalonia.
Industrial Crops
– Industrial crops like sunflower, sugar beet, cotton, and tobacco require processing before consumption.
– Production is concentrated in the southern half of the peninsula, except for sugar beet, which is primarily grown in Castilla y León.
– Large-scale production is often linked to industries that provide seeds, guidance, and price agreements.
- Sunflower cultivation has reduced fallow land but faced subsidy reductions.
- Sugar beet production has been impacted by lower prices and reduced community support.
- Cotton and tobacco production are declining.
Forage Crops
– Forage crops like alfalfa, corn silage, and vetch are used for animal feed.
– Cultivation is concentrated in the humid northern half of the peninsula and irrigated areas.
– Production and acreage have increased since 1950, driven by rising demand for livestock products.