![]() Furthermore, years of neglect have created a serious land erosion problem, most notably in the dry plains of Castilla-La Mancha.Ĭompared with other West European countries, the proportion of land devoted to agricultural purposes is low. In addition, the roughness of the terrain has been an obstacle to agricultural mechanization and to other technological improvements. Of Spain’s 50.5 million hectares of land, 20.6 million, or about 40 percent, are suitable for cultivation however, the soil is generally of poor quality, and only about 10 percent of the land can be considered excellent. Rainfall, which is often inadequate, tends to be concentrated in two generally brief periods during the year. A large part of the country is semiarid, with temperatures that range from extremely cold in the winter to scorching in the summer. Library of Congress) “Viewed in terms of land mass, Spain is one of the largest countries of Western Europe, and it ranks second in terms of its elevation, after Switzerland. ![]() Currently organic farming represents the most realistic and attractive economic alternative to conventional agriculture, so that more Read hereĪnimal breeds originating in Spain (wikipedia)īBC NEWS | World | Europe | Southern Spain ‘dust bowl’ threat– Farmers in southern Spain say the summers are getting longerīBC NEWS | Europe | Spain burns fields to kill voles A plague of field voles in central Spain leads the authorities to resort to … The farm union COAG says about 400000 hectares of land (988000 acres) is…Īgriculture in Spain (U.S. They are better organized and have more information available than the ‘old’ organic farmers, because conventional farmers’ organizations now have organic sections providing support. More conventional farmers are converting to organic farming. Today the organic farming sector is more complex, characterized by highly diversified production in all regions. One national support association for organic farming helped conventional farmers to convert to organic, making contracts for those products for which traders (mostly from other European countries like France, Germany or United Kingdom) could guarantee a market. The ‘pioneer’ organic farmers were strongly motivated to produce organic products for internal and local consumption and were organized in cooperatives. Organic Farming in Spain 2007 Excellent review “Approximately 80 % of the typical Mediterranean crops grown organically are exported, mostly to the central and northern European countries, especially in the winter season. * Spain’s area is 38 percent crop land, 14 percent grazing land and 32 percent forest, the agriculture ministry says. * The agriculture ministry estimates Spain will need to devote 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) to grains and oilseeds to make biofuels, if it is to meet its clean transport fuel targets using home-grown produce. * The average age of Spain’s farmers is 55. * Agriculture now accounts for only 2.7 percent of the Spanish economy, down from 4.2 percent 10 years ago, and for 5 percent of the workforce, compared with 8 percent in 1995. The agriculture ministry launched a campaign in November to boost consumer awareness of organic food. * Organic produce accounts for only 1 percent of spending on food in Spain. But an estimated 80 percent of its production is exported, mostly to Germany, the Netherlands, France and Britain. * Spain is number two in Europe and eighth in the world in area dedicated to ecological crops, according to the agriculture ministry. * Spain produces more olive oil than Italy, exports more wine than France and its organic fruit and vegetables are fast gaining ground in northern Europe. Key facts on farming in Spain (Reuters Jan 2007)
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