Rural Spain: Environment, Agriculture, and New Uses

Posted on Oct 11, 2024 in Geography

1. Physical and Human Factors in Rural Spain

1.1 The Natural Environment

Traditional farming was heavily influenced by physical factors, which continue to shape agriculture in Spain, often unfavorably:

  • Relief: High altitudes and steep slopes
  • Climate: Low and unpredictable rainfall
  • Soils: Generally poor quality

1.2 Agrarian Structure

Traditional agrarian structure was labor-intensive and technologically underdeveloped.

A. Demographic Changes

Rural depopulation due to farm mechanization and low incomes has led to aging communities in less developed areas. Future trends suggest continued depopulation, but with some rejuvenation as young farmers, facing urban job scarcity, return to rural areas.

B. Changes in Land Ownership and Tenure

Rural land is divided into plots, forming farms operated by agricultural producers. Ownership refers to legal land possession:

  • Large Estates: Control over 50% of the land, held by only 0.8% of owners.
  • Small Holdings: Comprise 10.5% of the land, owned by 52.3% of owners.

Land tenure is the degree of control over land. Direct tenure exists when the owner and farmer are the same person; indirect tenure occurs when they are different.

C. Changes in Farming Techniques and Systems

Technical advancements include mechanization and chemical fertilizer use. These changes have led to intensified agricultural production.

1.3 Rural Settlement and Housing

A. Rural Settlement

Rural settlements consist of towns with populations under 10,000. Two main settlement models exist:

  • Dispersed Settlement: Houses are separated by fields.
    • Isolated: No population clusters.
    • Loosely Concentrated: Small groups of houses form hamlets.
    • Intermixed: Houses surrounded by their own land.
  • Concentrated Settlement: Houses are close together.
    • Linear: Houses along a road or river.
    • Nucleated: Houses clustered around a central point.

Transformations in rural settlements include shrinking inland populations and the growth of coastal settlements for leisure and residential purposes.

B. Rural Housing

Housing materials are locally sourced, resulting in diverse building styles:

  • Stone Houses: Constructed with or without mortar.
  • Wooden Houses: Timber frames filled with masonry or brick.
  • Clay Houses: Sun-dried clay mixed with straw.

1.4 Agricultural Policy

A. Pre-CAP Agricultural Policy

From the mid-19th century until Spain’s entry into the EU, agricultural policy focused on land ownership:

  • Disentailment: 19th-century policies aimed to change land ownership.
  • Land Consolidation: Addressed the issue of small, fragmented farms by giving owners single, larger plots.
  • Large Estate Legislation: Affected uncultivated large estates.

B. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Spain’s adoption of the CAP upon joining the EU had significant consequences:

  • Integration into the EU internal market.
  • Liberalized trade with the EU.
  • Modernization of Spanish agriculture.

However, the CAP also presented challenges:

  • High product prices compared to the market.
  • Agricultural surpluses.
  • Environmental degradation.
  • Rural depopulation.
  • Regional disparities in CAP impacts.

2. Rural Land Use

2.1 Agricultural Activity

Traditional agriculture was based on polyculture. Modern agriculture has undergone significant changes.

A. Changes in Farm Structure

  • Specialization in regionally suitable products.
  • Modern techniques: increased mechanization, pesticide and fertilizer use, and transgenic crops.
  • Shift towards intensive agriculture.

B. Agricultural Production

  • Cereals: Primarily grown in dryland areas.
  • Legumes: Used green or dried.
  • Grapes: Rainfed crop for fresh consumption and winemaking.
  • Olives: Drought-resistant crop for table olives and oil production.
  • Fruits and Vegetables: For fresh consumption or processing.
  • Flowers: Increasingly important in the Canary Islands and Catalonia.
  • Industrial Crops: Require processing before consumption.
  • Fodder Crops: For animal feed, mainly in northern Spain.

2.2 Livestock

A. Changes in Farming Structure

  • Specialization in meat or milk production.
  • Increased mechanization and farm size.
  • Shift towards intensive livestock farming.

Challenges facing Spanish livestock:

  • Shortage of animal feed due to low rainfall.
  • Inadequate farm size.
  • Competition from other EU countries and surpluses.
  • Animal disease outbreaks affecting exports.

B. Livestock Production

  • Cattle:
    • Dairy cattle: Extensively in northern Spain, intensively near cities.
    • Beef cattle: In mountainous, forested, and rangeland areas.
  • Sheep: For meat and milk (Manchego cheese).
    • Transhumance: Seasonal movement between pastures.
    • Extensive grazing: On stubble, fallow land, and large areas.
    • Lamb fattening: For higher yields.
  • Pigs: For fresh consumption and processed meats.
    • Intensive/industrial: Catalonia.
    • Extensive: Extremadura and Salamanca.
  • Poultry: For meat and eggs. Intensive/industrial production in Catalonia, Castile and Leon, and Aragon.

2.3 Forestry

Spain has 16.4 million hectares of forest land, 13.9 million of which are forested (hardwoods and conifers). Main producing areas are in northern Spain and Huelva. Timber production has increased with fast-growing species. Deforestation from logging, fires, acid rain, and disease remains a concern.

2.4 New Uses of Rural Areas

Rural areas are diversifying beyond traditional land uses:

  • Residential: Second homes and primary residences.
  • Industrial: Cheaper land and labor attract industries.
  • Tourism: Increased leisure and living standards drive demand.
  • Recreation: Hunting in areas like Montes de Toledo and Sierra Morena.

These new uses have positive economic impacts but can also lead to environmental degradation.