Catalunya
Catalonia is a region situated in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula with a great variety of landscapes and long coastline. It has traditionally been a region of prosperous industry and in the last 40 years also an important tourist zone. Barcelona, its capital, is also its biggest city (its metropolitan area reaches around 3 million inhabitants).
Nowadays, agriculture, as in most of industrialised countries, accounts for a small part of the economy, representing the 3% of this region’s GDP. Nonetheless, Catalan agriculture is highly productive in a series of products, such as wine, fruit or pig meat. The agriculture of Catalonia is characterized by the fact that the concentration of land is below the Spanish and European average, with a majority of family farms. Owner occupancy of land is the most widespread system of agriculture, even though tenancies are increasing rapidly (89% increase between 1989 and 1999). The agriculture in this region can be defined as of plural economy and heterogeneous territory. In addition, there is a strong tradition of cooperatives and associations which has led to the unification and strengthening of the farmers sector.
Not all the regions in Catalunya are considered to be peri-urban. There is wide consent in defining as peri-urban nine comarques (see map below for the division of the territory in these administrative units), being the biggest agglomeration the region of Barcelona and its surroundings.
The rise of land prices in the recent years, as well as better infrastructure for commuting to work have made many people leave big cities to establish themselves in former rural areas in order to enhance their quality of life. Apart from the positive aspects that these tendencies might have had, they have also made these regions face new problems and challenges.
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From the Parc Agrari del Baix Llobregat archives. |
Catalonia is very engaged in protecting the peri-urban agricultural areas, the importance of which cannot be neglected. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona 22% of the active population work in the agricultural sector which produces 31.7% of the gross added value of Catalonia. It is also important to note that the highest number of active working people (in absolute terms) in the agricultural sector of Catalonia work in the areas surrounding Barcelona and the other three capitals of province (Girona, Lleida and Tarragona).
It is clear enough that the peri-urban zones in Catalonia have an important weight in the agricultural sector of the country and that measures have to be taken in order for these areas to be protected.
Some of the measures that are already functioning are the Agricultural parks of Baix Llobregat and Sabadell.
In addition, there is a proposed project to create an Observatory for peri-urban agriculture. This institution, supported by the Superior School of Agriculture and the Agriculture Department of Catalonia as well as some foundations of the sector, would have two main objectives: to preserve and promote agricultural areas in these regions and maintain the equilibrium and sustainability of the territory, and to train future farm managers specialised in peri-urban agriculture.
General data:
| Country: |
Spain |
| Total area: |
3,200,000 ha |
| Population: |
7,134.697 |
| Density: |
204 hab/km2 |
| Agriculture land use: |
29 % |
| Arable land: |
57 % |
| Main economic activities: |
Services, Contruction, Agro-food industry |
| Main agricultural products: |
Pork, Fresh fruit, Poultry |
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Last updated: 28 Apr 2009