Mediterranean Agriculture: Landscape, Regional Varieties, and Challenges
Mediterranean Agricultural Landscape
The Mediterranean agricultural landscape spans the Mediterranean coast, including the Iberian littoral, Balearic Islands, and the Guadalquivir Valley. It thrives in a Mediterranean climate, with variants like pure and coastal steppes, experiencing rainfall between 250 and 800 l/m2, hot summers, and mild winters.
The terrain varies, being relatively flat in coastal plains and lowlands (Guadalquivir Valley) and semi-mountainous inland. This results in diverse natural and agricultural landscapes. Historically, the population has been large, with dispersed habitation, which is currently diminishing as the population concentrates. This dispersed settlement was traditionally significant in the Catalan Pyrenees and the Valencian region (Barraca).
The ownership structure is highly contrasted. Smallholdings (small farms) dominate in gardening areas (mainly Valencia), with medium-sized estates in Catalonia and inland Andalusia. Irrigated agriculture is crucial, with early outdoor horticulture (coastal areas) and greenhouse cultivation (Andalusian coast). Fruit trees (citrus, pears, grapefruit, etc.) are also important, along with tropical products in Andalusia (avocados, kiwis, pineapples, etc.).
In the littoral and Guadalquivir areas, Mediterranean rainfed agriculture is prominent, including rainfed crops, vineyards (Penedes, Alto Turia, Jerez, Malaga, Requena), and, above all, olive groves (Jaén, Córdoba). Cattle and swine, the latter abundant in Catalonia, are significant, while sheep are spread throughout the rainfed littoral, and wild bulls are important along the Guadalquivir. Significant differences exist between different regions, reflecting the landscape. Andalusia has a large area dedicated to olive trees, Valencia to oranges (fruit), and Catalonia and Valencia to vineyards and horticulture. Arable crops are found throughout the region, particularly in Murcia, known for its canning industry.
Spanish Agriculture: Problems and Solutions
The Spanish agricultural sector faces several challenges:
- Economic Issues: Small farm sizes hinder economies of scale. Monoculture and price discrepancies between the origin and end of primary sector products are also problems.
- Social Issues: Low esteem for agricultural employment and general farming has led to rural depopulation and an aging workforce. Poor accessibility to rural areas and a lack of infrastructure (communication, health, education) exacerbate these issues.
To address these, actions are being taken to improve accessibility and infrastructure, ensuring that no one is too far from these resources.
Environmental Problems: Overexploitation of aquifers, salination, excessive pesticide use, and slurry production lead to soil contamination. Sustainable agriculture is encouraged to combat these issues, promoting environmentally friendly practices and organic farming.
Key measures include improving air quality through energy crops and avoiding stubble burning, using efficient irrigation systems, controlling fertilizer and pesticide use, fighting fires, and dedicating land to forestry and more extensive livestock farming.