Between tradition, structural fragility and little modernization, farmers are looking for ways to keep an emblematic product of the Spanish region alive.
The saffron harvest has been declining in Catalonia as autumn arrives later and later and abnormally high temperatures shorten the flowering period. Between losses of 30 to 40% in recent years, producers warn that and the lack of modernization threaten the future of “red gold”.
As the morning mist lifts over the hills of Catalonia, Jaume Casado Carulla picks the first purple flowers of the day. He works on land where saffron has been cultivated for centuries, but admits that the natural cycle is no longer the same.
“We normally start picking the flowers at night and finish around mid-morning, after picking them all. We need to pick them early because it’s important that the sun doesn’t hit them and dry them out too much,” the Safra del Montsec producer explained to Reuters.
Saffron, known as “red gold”, has always added color and flavor to Spanish cuisine. To produce one kilogram, at least 120,000 flowers are needed. But that balance is being disturbed.
An ancient tradition pressed by climate
Farmers report that the spice faces a shorter and more irregular harvest, a direct consequence of delayed autumn and rising temperatures.
“Saffron is a crop that awakens with the first cold, with the first humidity of autumn. Therefore, when the arrival of autumn is delayed, the harvest is also delayed”, described Jaume.
Although quality is maintained, “quantity has been decreasing, especially from 2021 to 2024”.
In the last three years, coinciding with a severe drought in Spain, higher temperatures have reduced yields.
“The harvest lasted around 15 days, instead of the usual 25,” he said. The drop reached 30 to 40%.
In 2024, Catalonia faced the worst drought ever recorded. And a study published in 2022 showed that climate change has already left the Iberian Peninsula in its driest state in 1200 years.
A fragile and little modernized sector
Saffron needs hot summers, between 23 and 27 °C, to start flower formation, and milder temperatures in autumn, between 15 and 17 °C, to flower. Global warming is disrupting these steps.
Spain is the fifth largest exporter in the world, with an average annual production of 550 kilos, according to Carlos Fernandez, president of the country’s first saffron producers organization, based in Castilla-La Mancha. A far cry from Iran, which dominates a global market of around 400 tons.
Fernandez considers that the Spanish sector is structurally fragile, dependent on manual methods that have evolved little over the centuries. The lack of modernization, combined with environmental pressures, is reducing productivity.
“There has been a progressive decline in production in the La Mancha region since 2018-2019, which coincides with rising temperatures and summers extending into September and October,” he said.
To counter the trend, the OPAZ cooperative is developing prototypes of harvesting and filament extraction machines, with functional models expected in 2026. They are also testing hydroponic cultivation and Dutch certified bulbs to improve the robustness of the plants.
Preserving a centuries-old tradition in Catalonia
Jaume and his wife, Magda Plazas Figueroa, share a determination to preserve this agricultural legacy. For ten years, they have been observing, on the slopes of Montsec, how climate fluctuations shape the flower.
“During harvesting, I am completely fascinated by the flowers. I think it is a beautiful flower. I consider it very delicate, but at the same time very resistant”, said Magda, as she separates the purple petals from the red stigma that will be dehydrated and sent to Michelin-starred restaurants.
“When you realize that you are contributing to something beautiful, you fall even more in love. It’s like waiting for the harvest every year and spending almost the entire year preparing for that moment”, he said.
Despite recent losses, this season has brought some relief: unlike other Spanish producers, Jaume managed to recover normal production levels during the short autumn cold break.
As the climate becomes more unpredictable, Magda and Jaume believe that saffron – like them – will have to continue to adapt.
