Determinants of Agricultural Activity in Spain
Determinants of Agricultural Activity in Spain
Natural Factors
Relief and Topography
Topography significantly influences agricultural practices. A strong correlation exists between land use and relief. Altitude affects temperature and humidity. Only 11% of Spain’s surface is below 200 meters; much of the plateau’s high elevation increases continentality, impacting agriculture. Slopes and elevations affect soil stability, tillage, erosion, water movement, and mechanization. Rocky terrain, soil origin, and evolution are crucial for crop support and nutrition.
Climate
Climate determines agricultural landscapes, primarily through temperature and rainfall, along with wind and cloud cover. The Mediterranean climate, with its long, dry summers and high temperatures, necessitates plant adaptation. The Mediterranean trilogy of cereals, vines, and olive trees exemplifies this, with irrigation mitigating summer drought effects. Climate variability, including frosts, heat waves, and droughts, negatively impacts agriculture and livestock.
Soils
Soil characteristics—nature, structure, composition, and location—are fundamental to agricultural landscapes. A soil map is essential for understanding agricultural patterns.
Natural Vegetation
Natural vegetation has been either eliminated for agriculture or conserved for forestry. Herbaceous vegetation may be retained for livestock, or integrated with wooded areas for pastureland.
Human Factors
Historical Conditions
Roman agrarian practices established early land management. Their systems, based on the Mediterranean trilogy and large farms, were later adapted by the Muslims, who emphasized irrigation and fruit/vegetable production. The Christian Reconquest and repopulation led to:
- Coexistence of cereal and livestock uses.
- A land ownership system causing inequality, persisting until the mid-19th century.
Social and Economic Conditions
Until the mid-20th century, Spain was largely rural, with agriculture central to the economy and local self-sufficiency. The railroad and later transport systems broke this pattern, leading to urbanization. In the late 20th century, agriculture became market-oriented, specializing in large-scale production for international markets, particularly the European Union.
Technical Innovations
Mechanization, fertilizers, and improved seeds and breeds have modernized Spanish agriculture.
EU Membership
Spain’s EU entry expanded agricultural markets, integrated it into EU policies, and provided new funding.
Post-Productive Conditions
Late 20th-century concerns about environmental impact, input overuse, and surpluses led to ecological alternatives and multifunctional rural areas (leisure, second homes, services).