The crisis in the agricultural sector in Spain is going through one of the most delicate phases in recent years, marked by the lack of profitability in the countryside, the aging of workers and the almost non-existence of young people willing to bet their professional future in this sector considered essential. A scenario that is leading many farmers to consider ending activities that have supported families for generations.
The field faces a combination of difficulties that are difficult to overcome. In addition to increasingly high production costs, there are unrewarding sales prices, long and physically demanding working hours and a structural problem of lack of generational renewal, which threatens the continuity of many farms.
This reality was highlighted at a conference held in the Argüelles neighborhood, in Madrid, entitled “El Pacto Verde Europeo. La ruina del primer sector productive español”, where the main challenges facing the Spanish rural world were analyzed. During the session, Víctor Viciedo, president of the Asociación de Labradores Independientes Valencianos, presented a worrying portrait of the current situation. According to data released by the Spanish digital newspaper HuffPost, Spain has lost around 18,500 farmers in recent years.
Problem of the aging of the sector
The average age of professionals who remain in the sector is around 60 years old, a clear indicator of the serious problem of generational replacement. Less than 4% of Spanish farmers are under 35 years old, a number that highlights the difficulty in attracting new generations to agricultural activity.
“Agricultural farms, boats and land are being abandoned. There is no profitability in the countryside”, said Víctor Viciedo to the audience, referring to working hours that can reach 18 hours a day to guarantee a minimum income.
The data presented shows not only the continuous reduction in the number of farms, but also a profound demographic problem, associated with the desertification of rural areas and the accelerated aging of the population linked to the primary sector, considered essential. This trend is part of a broader phenomenon that several institutions and studies identify as one of the great challenges facing rural Spain in the coming decades, with direct impacts on territorial cohesion and food security.
Weight of the European Green Deal
One of the central points of the debate was the impact of the European Green Deal on the agricultural sector, according to the same source. According to Víctor Viciedo, the environmental standards currently in force have significantly increased production costs, without guaranteeing effective mechanisms that ensure the economic viability of farms.
The criticism focuses mainly on measures such as reducing the use of fertilizers, plant protection products and antibiotics, which, in the view of sector representatives, limit productivity without offering clear alternatives that financially compensate farmers.
This position is shared by several agricultural organizations, which have been expressing their opposition to these policies, defending a review of standards and greater institutional support to prevent the adjustment from falling solely on those who produce.
Problem of rural depopulation
Meanwhile, European and national institutions seek to respond to the problem of rural depopulation. Programs such as the European Rural Pact aim to strengthen local governance, improve infrastructure and attract investment to the interior, with targets set until 2040.
However, the perception on the ground is clear. Many farmers consider it impossible to attract young people back to the countryside until agricultural activity guarantees sufficient income and working conditions compatible with current life, the .
Alerts are multiplying, numbers confirm the seriousness of the situation and solutions have been identified. The question that remains is whether there will be the capacity and political will to act in time to prevent an irreversible decline in this sector considered essential.
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