Spain Advances Sustainable Agriculture Through Irrigation Modernization and Family Farming Awards
Spain reinforces sustainable agriculture with smart irrigation investments and awards celebrating family farming innovations.
- • Spain invests over €2.5 billion from 2022-2027 to modernize 750,000 hectares of irrigation.
- • More than 76% of irrigated land is modern, producing 71% of plant production value.
- • UPA and Syngenta award family farmers for sustainability initiatives in biodiversity, water management, social sustainability, and climate.
- • Sustainable irrigation is vital to mitigate projected water decreases due to climate change.
Key details
Spain is bolstering its commitment to sustainable agriculture through two significant developments. Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, announced a substantial shift towards "smart irrigation," emphasizing digitalization and efficient resource management as key to agricultural transformation. Currently, over 76% of Spain's irrigated land has been modernized, producing 71% of the country's plant production value from 3.7 million hectares. The government plans to invest more than 2.5 billion euros from 2022 to 2027 to modernize 750,000 hectares—this will benefit over 237,000 farmers and involve more than 250 irrigation communities. The initiative addresses climate change risks, including projected water resource reductions of 12% to 40% by century's end, positioning sustainable irrigation as crucial for adaptation and mitigation.
Complementing this modernization effort, the Unión de Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos (UPA) and Syngenta have awarded the third edition of the Premios Sostenibles por Naturaleza, honoring family farmers whose projects excel in biodiversity, sustainable input and water management, social sustainability, and climate change and soil stewardship. Winners include innovative initiatives such as Aborigen in Tenerife, Dominio del Noveno in Castilla y León, Patatas Tarsa in Segovia, and La Senda de Vana in Jaén/Albacete, showcasing practices ranging from traditional goat farming to regenerative viticulture and agroecological methods.
Cristóbal Cano, UPA Secretary General, stressed the pivotal role of family farming in leading Spain’s sustainable agriculture transition, while Syngenta’s Francisco García-Verde highlighted the importance of public-private cooperation. Together, these efforts illustrate Spain’s integrated approach to modernizing agriculture through technology and grassroots sustainability leadership.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.