Key Concepts in Agriculture and Farming Practices in Spain
Fallow
Fallow is a traditional practice of dryland farming. It involves letting the land rest for a variable time to recover its natural fertility. Today, this method is often replaced by a modified fallow, which reduces the rest period by planting a spring crop that is collected before the summer.
Farmland
Farmland is the techno-economic unit where agricultural products are obtained under the responsibility of an entrepreneur. It groups all the plots worked by the same farmer, regardless of tenure. In Spain, the average size of farmland has grown. Small farms dominate in Galicia and Andalusia, while large farms are prevalent in the southern sub-plateau.
Latifundio
A Latifundio is a type of land characterized by the large size of the plots, usually worked by tenants, sharecroppers, and day laborers. In Spain, this is the typical property type in Extremadura, Andalusia, and Castile. Traditional crops in these estates are usually cereals, vines, and olive trees.
Minifundio
A Minifundio is a type of land characterized by the small size of the plots. Usually, the peasant owns and works the land, and their production is generally oriented towards self-consumption. In Spain, this is the typical property type in the north and Valencia, in contrast to the large estates found in the south. In Valencia, small farms can be profitable due to irrigation, while in other regions, they often correspond to a subsistence economy.
Monoculture
Monoculture is a cropping system in which each unit of land cultivates a single species. It is common in large flat areas of the drylands of the peninsula and predominates in the irrigated areas of the Canarian coastline. The main products are cereals, sugar beet, and cotton. It is generally not recommended because it degrades the soil and depends heavily on market fluctuations, but it is becoming more common.
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the set of common rules governing the operation of agricultural activity in the states of the European Union. Its main objectives are to improve competitiveness, ensure a stable income and an adequate standard of living for farmers, promote rural development, make agriculture more environmentally friendly, and ensure food safety and quality for consumers.
Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is a farming practice that involves the repeated succession of cultivating a particular parcel to prevent soil depletion. We can distinguish between two-year rotation and three-year rotation. This practice is common in the drylands of the peninsula.
Industrial Crops
Industrial crops are agricultural products that require industrial transformation before consumption, such as sunflower, sugar beet, cotton, or tobacco. They are devoted to agriculture-related industries. Sunflower, due to its low water requirement and high demand for oil, has greatly increased in cultivation. Cotton, however, has seen its surface area reduced following the introduction of synthetic fibers.
Intensive Farming
Intensive farming involves livestock feeding in barns using feed, breeds selected for different uses, and modern techniques of milking and insemination. In Spain, it has increased in the vicinity of large cities to tap into the urban market.