Spanish Agriculture and Livestock: A Sectoral Analysis
Agricultural Activity
Traditional Spanish agriculture, based on polyculture and extensive farming, yielded low outputs. Modern agriculture has seen structural and production changes, leading to increased yields.
1 Agrarian Structure and Transformations
a) Agriculture is specializing in each region’s most suitable products.
b) Modern techniques are being adopted: selected and genetically engineered seeds and crops; pesticides and fertilizers; machinery; techniques to overcome natural constraints.
c) Intensive farming is replacing extensive farming due to reduced fallow periods in drylands and irrigation expansion. Fallowing is letting land rest for a period. Irrigation supplements rainfall with surface or groundwater.
2 Agricultural Production and Transformations
Agriculture contributes 60-65% of Spain’s final agricultural production. Crop changes reflect the need to compete in European and global markets.
a) Cereals are primarily for human consumption, grown in dryland peninsular areas, and face competition from higher-yielding European countries.
b) Legumes are grown for human and animal consumption, primarily in cereal-growing areas. Mechanization and low yields pose challenges.
c) Vineyards, primarily in Castilla La Mancha, produce grapes for consumption and winemaking. Traditional methods result in low yields.
d) Olive trees, mainly in Andalusia, produce table olives and oil. Production varies due to the olive tree’s alternating yield cycle.
e) Horticultural crops are for fresh consumption or canning, mainly in irrigated peninsular and island areas. Traditional production focuses on consumption.
f) Industrial crops like sunflower, sugar beet, and tobacco are grown in the irrigated southern peninsula. Production depends on industrial demand.
g) Forage crops are for animal feed, concentrated in the drylands of the northern peninsula. Production has grown with livestock increases.
Livestock
Modern farming has undergone transformations, leading to increased yields.
a) Production specializes in meat or milk.
b) Automation, such as milking machines, is increasing.
c) Intensive livestock farming is gaining prominence. Extensive farming relies on natural resources, while intensive farming uses stables and feed.
2 Livestock and Transformations
Livestock production has transformed due to market competition.
a) Cattle primarily produce meat and milk. Location depends on resources and farming systems. Meat production faces competition from cheaper pork and poultry. Milk production faces competition from other EU countries.
b) Sheep produce meat, milk, and wool. Located in dryland peninsular areas, meat production uses hardy native breeds. Milk production increasingly uses foreign breeds, driven by high prices and cheese demand.
c) Pig farming produces fresh and processed meat. Location depends on the farming system. Production has grown with increased demand.
d) Poultry farming produces meat and eggs, centered in Catalonia, Castile and Leon, and Aragon. Chicken meat consumption exceeds production, requiring imports, while eggs are exported.
Forestry Activity
Forests cover 18.8 million hectares, mainly hardwoods and conifers. Production primarily focuses on lumber for construction and furniture, concentrated in northern Spain, Soria, and Huelva. Production has increased with fast-growing species. The CAP encourages afforestation and forestry to increase timber production.
Landscapes of Spain
Wet Northern Peninsular Landscape
Includes the north and northwest Iberian Peninsula.
a) Agrarian Structure: Low population density, small farms, primarily agricultural land use.
b) Agriculture: Occupies a small area. Rainfed agriculture benefits from regular rainfall. Traditional polyculture has shifted towards specialized horticulture and fodder crops.
c) Livestock: The most important agricultural activity, driven by climate and urban demand.
d) Logging: Important, supplying the furniture industry.
Peninsular Landscape
Includes uplands and the Ebro Depression.
a) Agrarian Structure: Aging population, varied farm sizes, smallholdings predominate in the Ebro Valley, mixed agricultural, livestock, and forestry land use.
b) Agriculture: Differences between rainfed and irrigated areas. Extensive rainfed agriculture in open fields. Irrigation allows for intensive agriculture.
c) Livestock: Important in dry meadows. Castile and the Ebro basin have extensive sheep farming. Extremadura, Salamanca, Zamora, and Andalusia have pasture-based livestock farms.
d) Logging: Typical in areas like Soria’s Pinariega region.
Mediterranean Agricultural Landscape
Includes the Mediterranean coast, Guadalquivir Valley, and Balearic Islands.
a) Agrarian Structure: Reduced population due to rural exodus, varied farm sizes, predominantly smallholdings, primarily agricultural land use.
b) Agriculture: Dryland areas cultivate cereals, grapes, olives, and almonds. Irrigated areas focus on horticulture and tropical fruits.
c) Livestock: Cattle and pig farming dominate in Catalonia, sheep farming in dry areas.
d) Logging: Minor significance.
Mountain Agricultural Landscape
Characterized by an extreme physical environment.
a) Agrarian Structure: Very low population density, emigration, terraced farms, diverse and complementary land uses.
b) Agriculture: Focuses on tree crops and almond orchards.
c) Livestock: Extensive cattle and sheep farming.
d) Logging: More prevalent in the northern mountains.
Canary Islands Agricultural Landscape
Distinct volcanic landscape.
a) Agrarian Structure: Declining population due to the appeal of the tertiary sector, contrasting farm sizes, scarce agricultural land use.
b) Agriculture: Coastal areas focus on export-oriented monoculture. Inland areas practice traditional rainfed agriculture.
c) Livestock: Low-intensity sheep and goat farming associated with agriculture.
d) Logging: Utilizes pine wood.
Rural Dynamics
New Uses of Rural Space
a) Causes: Positive rural perception, decentralization trend.
b) New Uses: Residential, industrial, tertiary, landscape, and cultural.
The Rural Crisis
a) Causes: Population decline, decreased contribution to GDP, reduced agricultural share in foreign trade.
Rural Problems and Development Policies
The European Union, Spanish state, and Autonomous Communities address these problems:
a) Demographic
b) Economic
c) Social: infrastructure and quality of life
d) Environmental