The Primary Sector in Spain and the EU: A Modern Overview
The Primary Sector in the EU
European Agriculture
Over 40% of the EU’s land is used for agriculture, contributing 2% to its GDP. Since the late 18th-century agricultural revolution, the sector has modernized, becoming technologically advanced, highly productive, and profitable.
- Mediterranean Landscapes: Combine rainfed agriculture (wheat, vine, and olive) with profitable irrigated market gardening.
- Central European Landscapes: Feature cereal crop rotation, with winter cereals (wheat, barley) and summer forage crops for livestock and sugar production.
The Primary Sector in Spain
Spain’s primary sector employs over 5% of the workforce and is market-oriented.
From Traditional to Modern Agriculture
A century ago, 70% of Spain’s population worked in traditional agriculture, primarily for subsistence. A mid-20th-century crisis led to the adoption of modern, technological agriculture from the 1960s onwards.
Regional Agricultural Landscapes
- North Peninsula: Characterized by bocage (small fields), small farms, and dispersed settlements.
- Mediterranean Coast: Features concentrated settlements, smallholdings, and intensive, competitive irrigated agriculture. Many products are for export.
- Interior Plains: Dominated by extensive, low-yield rainfed agriculture, focusing on monocultures of corn, vine, and olive.
Spanish Livestock
Livestock contributes 40% to Spain’s primary sector production value. Extensive farming linked to agriculture (using manure as fertilizer) has been largely replaced by intensive farming and feedlots near urban centers.
Spain has a large livestock population, ranking second in the EU for pigs, sheep, and goats in 2004. Beekeeping (honey production) is also gaining importance.
Spanish Fishing
Spain is a major fishing nation, leading Europe in fleet size and second in catch volume. It’s the second-largest consumer of fish globally, after Japan. Artisanal and industrial fishing coexist, supplemented by international fishing agreements. Aquaculture has grown significantly since the 1990s.
Logging
Despite Spain’s limited forest cover, logging remains an important economic activity. Reforestation efforts have focused on pine and eucalyptus.