Modernization of Spanish Agriculture and Rural Landscapes

Climate and Irrigation in Mediterranean Spain

The region features high temperatures in summer and mild temperatures in winter, with average rainfall except in the dry Southwest. The waters of the Guadalquivir and Ebro rivers have created a landscape of intensive irrigation outside coastal Mediterranean Spain.

The Meseta and Inland Agriculture

The Meseta domain, Spain's Mediterranean interior, is characterized by high average altitudes, long winters, and hot, dry summers. It possesses a large collection of great potential in agricultural irrigation, dedicated to the Mediterranean trilogy in drylands, often experiencing very sharp transition situations.

Changes in the Economic Context

There has been a significant transformation of the traditional agrarian structure since 1960 to reach the present day. Previously, yields were low and production was for subsistence. Now, it features high yields, and production tends toward regional specialization and sales in a more globalized and liberalized market.

Shifts in Agricultural Land Use

The contribution of each use to the Final Agricultural Production (PFA) has changed. While there is a predominance of crop production over animal production, livestock production has increased its participation in the PFA. The causes include the mechanization of the field, soil conservation, and increased living standards.

New Uses of Rural Areas

Rural areas now see residential uses (second homes or primary residences), industrial uses (transfer of land and factories looking for cheap labor), recreation, and tourism. The positive effects include a more balanced distribution of population and economic activity and the recovery of rural economies. Negative effects include the loss of identity in agricultural areas and environmental degradation.

The Structure of Rural Property

• Increase in average size: There is an increase in the average size of properties due to the decline of small landowners.
• Large estates (Latifundia): Great property or estates (greater than 100 ha) bring together more than half of the land but only 1% of the owners. This occurs in Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, and the Balearic Islands, originating from the distribution of land during the Reconquest.
• Small property (Minifundia): Small farms (less than 10 ha) account for 11% of the land and 50% of the owners. This occurs in the northern peninsula, Valencia, and the Canary Islands. These tend to disappear, though they are favored by the importance of part-time farming. Some smallholders exploit other parcels through leasing, making the average farm size greater than that of the properties themselves.

Tenure Systems

There is a dominance of direct over indirect tenure. In direct tenure, the owner and the farmer are the same person. In indirect tenure, the owner gives the farm to another person in exchange for a percentage of the harvest (sharecropping) or the payment of rent (lease).

Recent Changes and Modernization

• Farm structure: The number of farms has been reduced, and their average size has increased.
• Loss of agricultural assets: There is a declining agricultural workforce. The main cause is the rural exodus, which has resulted in the depopulation and aging of the most backward rural areas.
• Trends: A continuing decline in the agricultural workforce, the aging of rural areas, and the potential for recovery and rejuvenation in the most dynamic sectors.

Transformations in Agriculture