Rural Areas and Agricultural Activities in Spain

Posted on Nov 9, 2024 in Geography

1. Characteristics of Rural Areas

1.1 Physical and Human Factors

Rural areas, traditionally focused on agriculture, livestock, and forestry, have diversified to include recreational, industrial, and service sectors. Their characteristics are shaped by physical and human factors.

1.1.1 The Natural Environment

While technology has mitigated some limitations, traditional farming remains influenced by:

  • Relief: Spain’s high altitude and rugged terrain hinder mechanization.
  • Climate: Low and unpredictable rainfall, frost, and aridity affect large areas.
  • Soils: Generally poor soil quality poses challenges for agriculture.

1.1.2 The Agrarian Structure

The traditional agrarian structure, characterized by a large workforce, small and large landholdings, and limited technology, has undergone significant changes since 1960. These include:

a) Demographic Changes

Rural exodus, driven by mechanization and low incomes, has led to depopulation and an aging population. Future trends suggest continued decline with potential for slight rejuvenation due to urban job market challenges.

b) Changes in the Operating System, Ownership, and Tenure of Land
  • Operation: The number of farms has decreased, while the average size has increased.
  • Ownership: Large estates (over 100 ha) comprise over 50% of the land but are owned by only 0.8% of landowners, predominantly in Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, and Aragon. Smallholdings (under 10 ha) account for 10.5% of the land and are owned by 52.3% of landowners, mainly in northern Spain and Valencia.
  • Tenure: Direct tenure (owner and operator are the same) is prevalent in Spain (74%), especially on small properties. Indirect tenure involves sharecropping or leasing.
c) Changes in Techniques and Farming Systems

Since the 1960s, significant advancements have boosted productivity:

  • Mechanization of agricultural work
  • Genetic selection of seeds and livestock breeds
  • Use of chemical fertilizers

1.1.3 Rural Settlement and Habitat

a) Rural Settlement

Rural settlements, villages with under 10,000 inhabitants and a primary sector focus, are influenced by natural, economic, and historical factors. Two main settlement models exist:

  • Dispersed: Houses surrounded by fields, woods, or meadows, prevalent in the periphery (north, Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia), Balearic and Canary Islands. This can be further categorized into scattered (no dense population clusters, common in mountainous areas) and concentrated (houses arranged linearly along roads or clustered around a nucleus).
  • Nucleated: Houses grouped together, common in inland areas.
b) Rural Habitat

Rural habitat comprises housing and other units within settlements. Morphology depends on construction materials (stone, timber, mud) and floor plans, which are often linked to agricultural activity. Common models include:

  • House block: All units (house, barn, etc.) under one roof.
  • Composite: Several buildings around a closed or open courtyard.

Recent transformations reflect a shift from traditional lifestyles towards urban models.

1.1.4 Agricultural Policy

Agricultural policy significantly impacts rural areas. Spain’s policy has evolved since the mid-nineteenth century, culminating in the adoption of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) upon joining the EU in 1986.

a) Pre-CAP Agricultural Policy

Focused on:

  • Land ownership: Attempts to address land concentration through disentailment policies in the nineteenth century, agrarian reform during the Second Republic, and colonization and irrigation policies under Franco.
  • Land fragmentation: Land consolidation policies launched in 1952 aimed to reduce fragmentation by giving each owner a single or a few equivalent parcels.
b) The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

The CAP’s adoption has had various consequences:

  • Spanish prices, initially lower than European levels, had to be gradually adjusted.
  • Trade with the EU was liberalized, and Spain adopted the principle of Community preference.
  • Spain had to modernize and enhance productivity, quality, and competitiveness.
  • Spain has been affected by common agricultural problems and CAP reforms aimed at addressing them, including high commodity prices, surplus production, environmental degradation, and rural depopulation.

2. Land Use in Rural Areas

The spatial distribution of agricultural land use in Spain includes:

  • 32.34% cropland
  • 14.57% natural meadows and pastures
  • 35.03% forest land
  • 18.06% other surfaces

Notable changes include a decline in agriculture, an increase in livestock farming, relatively stable forestry production, and the emergence of new uses (residential, industrial, recreational, and services).

2.1 Agricultural Activity

2.1.1 Agriculture

Traditional agriculture, based on polyculture, backward techniques, and extensive farming systems, resulted in low yields and subsistence-oriented production. Modern agriculture has undergone significant transformations:

a) Changes in Agricultural Structure
  1. Specialization in regionally suitable products.
  2. Incorporation of modern techniques, including mechanization, pesticide and fertilizer use, selected seeds and GM crops, and new cultivation techniques (mulching, sanding, greenhouses).
  3. Intensive farming gaining prominence over extensive farming due to irrigation expansion and reduced fallow periods in dryland farming.

Cultivation of Cereals and Vines

(Content related to cereal and vine cultivation would be added here based on the original document’s context.)