Unió de Pagesos and Asaja defend the agricultural law that promotes tourism in the countryside

PalmThe Union of Farmers of Mallorca, Asaja Baleares, UPA-AIA, and Agri-food Cooperatives maintain that the future Balearic agricultural law will be "a tool of the sector and for the sector" and have criticized other groups for "wanting to dictate" the future of farmers, ranchers, and cooperatives in the Islands. It should be noted that this legislation will allow up to 10 tourist accommodations on each farm.

In a joint statement, the agricultural organizations asserted that the draft bill is "necessary" for the countryside and that the entities have contributed input "to improve it and make it as consensual as possible." According to them, the law must be "modern and aligned" with the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and must protect "small family farms and agricultural cooperatives." They also believe it should promote agri-food cooperatives, protect natural resources, and, at the same time, allow for traditional agricultural uses of rural land.

The organizations argue that the law should prioritize agricultural uses over other inappropriate uses, and have insisted that the text reiterate that "farming on rural land is the norm." They also propose promoting complementary activities to maintain the viability of farms and boosting the processing and marketing of local products, especially through direct sales and cooperatives or Agricultural Transformation Societies (SATs). The organizations also demand that the legislation promote training, research, digitalization, and the collection of statistical data as essential tools for adapting to climate change. Likewise, they insist that the island's unique circumstances must be recognized and that the additional costs incurred by the sector be compensated. "The Government and other administrations must legislate and allocate budgets to ensure the viability of agricultural activity," they emphasize. They also call for simplifying the relationship between farmers and the government, promoting the use of renewable energy, and allowing farms with seasonal workers to have temporary accommodation during the harvest season.

According to the organizations, "the vast majority" of the proposals have already been incorporated into the text, and they continue working to ensure the final law is truly "a law of the sector and for the sector." Finally, they criticized those "sectors outside the farming community that seek to decide the future of the countryside" and reminded everyone that "for years they have benefited from the social, environmental, and landscape values generated by the primary sector without having contributed to its survival." It should be noted that the Balearic countryside could accommodate thousands of new tourist beds if the new agricultural law drafted by Minister Joan Simonet's team is passed. This law was shared with agricultural and professional associations before being submitted to Parliament. Professional farms will be able to have up to 10 beds to accommodate visitors and, furthermore, will be able to expand existing buildings by up to 20% to carry out this leisure activity. The most important requirement for converting agricultural properties into tourist establishments is that they have been registered for four years and that tourism is formally established as a complementary activity.