The Government has announced a package of measures aimed at facilitating the entry of young people into agriculture and livestock farming, with the objective of ensuring generational renewal and the sustainability of the Spanish countryside. The announcement was made during a meeting with young farmers and livestock producers, which highlighted the urgent need to rejuvenate the sector.
Among the main initiatives is the creation of ‘Tierra Joven’, an information and agricultural land mobilisation platform that will make it possible to identify and enhance available land for new professionals. This project will be accompanied by a royal decree regulating its operation and by the development of the Family Farming Law, which will include an Office for Information and Transfer of Agricultural Land.
Another announced measure is the mobilisation of agricultural land owned by the State. Specifically, around 17,000 rural properties will be analysed to assess their suitability for agricultural activity and, where appropriate, made available on a priority basis to young people, women and new professionals in the sector.
Likewise, the Executive has put forward a new proposal within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), advocating that 10% of its resources be allocated to generational renewal, compared to the 6% initially proposed by the European Commission. The Government underlines the strategic role of the CAP as a key tool for food security, sustainability and European sovereignty.
During the event, it was highlighted that 40% of farm holders are over 65 years of age, while only 9% are under 41, a reality that reinforces the need to implement active policies to attract young talent to the sector.
For his part, the Minister of Agriculture described generational renewal as “the challenge of all challenges” for the agri-food sector and stated that the future Family and Professional Farming Law will aim to ensure sustainable and profitable farms and decent living conditions for young farmers and livestock producers.
These measures form part of the European strategy that seeks to double the proportion of young farmers in the European Union by 2040 and reinforce the institutional commitment to the future of Spanish agriculture and livestock farming.
