Spanish Agriculture: Land Use, Crops, and Livestock
Spanish Agricultural Land Use
Agricultural land in Spain is defined as geographical areas designated for agricultural production, livestock, and forestry. This differs from rural areas, which encompass a broader range of activities including industry, leisure, tourism, and residential use. The term “agricultural” specifically refers to activities related to farming.
Characteristics of Spanish Agricultural Land
Spanish agricultural land reflects both the physical environment and human activity, resulting in diverse agricultural landscapes influenced by the country’s peninsular and insular geography, Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, and patterns of human settlement.
Spain has 50.5 million hectares of agricultural land, divided into cropland, grassland, and forest land:
- Cropland: Occupies 17.5 million hectares (35% of the geographical area). This represents an average proportion compared to other European countries, though it has decreased in the last thirty years.
- Grassland and pastures: Cover seven million hectares. Their extent is strongly influenced by climate, as it affects the development of prairies. These areas provide food for livestock.
- Forest land: Comprises land and mountainous areas unsuitable for agriculture. It represents a third of the Iberian Peninsula and exhibits significant biodiversity. It supports logging, hunting, and a network of protected natural areas.
Regional differences exist: Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Murcia have high proportions of cropland; Asturias and Cantabria are known for their fields; and Extremadura is notable for its pastures. Forest lands are abundant in the Atlantic-Cantabrian communities, Catalonia, and Valencia.
Relationship Between Land Use and Geography
There’s a strong correlation between land use and geographical factors, particularly climate and topography:
- Forest areas: Predominantly found in mountainous regions unsuitable for agriculture, areas where traditional agricultural practices have been abandoned, and areas undergoing reforestation.
- Meadows and pastures: Common in mid-mountain areas with gentler topography and the western peninsular plains. Livestock grazing is a traditional practice in the wetter Atlantic grasslands and the seasonal pastures of inland Spain.
- Croplands: Concentrated in three main areas: the interior basins of the Plateau, the Ebro and Guadalquivir valleys, and the Mediterranean coast. The sub-plateau regions (Duero basin in the north and La Mancha in the south) have intensive agricultural use. The Ebro and Guadalquivir valleys are highly suitable for agriculture, with the Guadalquivir valley having the richest soil and highest percentage of arable land. The Mediterranean coast is characterized by intensive cultivation in a narrow strip, widest in the Gulf of Valencia.
Irrigated areas, key to Spanish agriculture, are included within these cropland areas. These often feature intensive cultivation methods (e.g., greenhouses, plasticulture) that maximize the climatic potential and demonstrate the dynamism of Spanish agriculture.
Crops in Spain
Crops have historically been the foundation of Spanish agriculture and the primary factor in land evaluation.
Atlantic vs. Mediterranean Spain
Crops vary between Atlantic and Mediterranean Spain, and within each region, between dry and irrigated land. The Mediterranean trilogy of cereals (wheat and barley), olives, and vines is well-suited to the ecological, social, economic, and agricultural conditions of the Mediterranean climate. Modern Spanish agriculture is characterized by reduced cultivated area, increased production, and shifts in the traditional balance between different crops.
- Cereals: While traditionally for human consumption, cereals now occupy less land, yet production has tripled due to increased yields. They are now also used for livestock feed. Wheat production has declined, although yields per unit area have increased. Barley has expanded into former wheat-growing areas to meet demand for animal feed and beer. Oats acreage has recovered in recent decades, while rye has significantly declined.
- Rice: Requires specific temperature and humidity conditions and has expanded beyond its traditional locations in the Valencia lagoon, the Ebro delta, and the Guadalquivir marshes.
- Corn: Common in wetter regions, particularly Galicia. Elsewhere, its cultivation depends on irrigation.
- Vegetables: Grown in various scales, from small garden plots to large-scale operations.
- Fruit trees: Have benefited from expanded irrigation and access to European markets. Citrus fruits, traditionally grown in Valencia, have expanded to other coastal provinces and western Andalusia.
- Olive trees: A symbol of southern Spain, covering two million hectares, 400,000 of which are irrigated. Olive cultivation has expanded in the 1990s, driven by EU subsidies.
- Vineyards: Concentrated in La Mancha, primarily for wine production. Faces competition from European vineyards following Spain’s entry into the EU.
- Industrial crops (sunflower, sugar beet, canola, cotton, tobacco): Expanded significantly in the 1960s due to reduced fallow land and new societal demands. Sunflower is the most widespread, with high concentrations in Cuenca and Seville. Sugar beet is concentrated in the Duero basin, Cadiz, and Seville. Cotton, requiring hot summers, is mainly grown in Andalusia. Tobacco is cultivated in Cáceres and Granada.
- Forage crops: Grown for livestock feed, primarily in humid climate zones with sufficient water.
Livestock in Spain
Livestock has been a fundamental element of Spanish agricultural landscapes since the Middle Ages. While numerically and economically significant, its physical presence on the land has decreased due to factors like rural exodus and a shift towards intensive farming practices.
Modern Livestock Farming
Modern livestock farming prioritizes high productivity through practices like stabling, genetic improvement, and engineered feeds. While advantageous, this model has drawbacks, including dependence on imported feed, potential product mismatches, and disconnection from the rural environment.
- Cattle: Has grown since the 1960s due to increased demand for meat and milk.
- Sheep: Experienced growth until 1960, followed by decline due to labor shortages and falling wool prices, then recovered due to EU subsidies. Concentrated in the western peneplain, southern sub-plateau, and slopes of the Pyrenees and Iberian System.
- Goats: Recovered in recent years due to EU grants.
- Pigs: The largest livestock sector. Two models exist: semi-extensive, based on crossbreeds and pasture, and intensive, industrial-scale farming.
- Poultry, rabbits, and beekeeping: Have prospered, with Spain becoming a prominent honey producer.
- Horses: Have declined due to mechanization.
Forest Use in Spain
Forest use contributes modestly to agricultural production, with variations between provinces. Galicia and the Basque Country have the highest value, while Madrid, Valencia, Murcia, and the Canary Islands have the lowest.
Forest area has decreased due to agricultural expansion in the 19th century and, more recently, due to fires. Spanish forests consist of both native and repopulated species. Forestry activities focus on conifer and hardwood trees, particularly in Atlantic Spain, for wood (Galicia), pulp, and cork (Cádiz and Cáceres). Other forest products include seeds, plants, honey, and game. There’s a growing emphasis on protected areas, sustainable development, and the social and environmental value of mountains and forests.