GOB, Unió de Pagesos and Apaema demand the withdrawal of the agrarian law because it will disfigure the countryside

PalmFarmers, professionals, and organizations such as the GOB (National Government of Andalusia), Unió de Pagesos (Union of Pagesos), and the organic producers' association Apaema (Apaema) have demanded that the government withdraw the draft agrarian law because it "will disfigure the countryside" and have criticized the current wording as an initiative to promote urban and tourism uses that "will end up converting farms into hotels." They also regret that the law is not being used to "promote true food sovereignty and to seriously help make agricultural activity viable on the islands," according to spokespersons for these associations told ARA Baleares. There are some points of agreement among the organizations and professionals who have presented objections, particularly regarding criticism of the urban, tourist, and speculative orientation of the countryside, which instead focuses on improving food production, which "is the basis of any agricultural regulation."

The public comment period for the bill ended on Friday, and environmentalists from the GOB presented a critical and forceful statement on the text drafted by Minister Joan Simonet's team. Among its initial arguments, the GOB argues that agriculture should have priority over other rural land uses, "such as tourism or speculation." It also demands that real funding for the agricultural sector be guaranteed, along with citizen participation in decision-making, and the application of a non-regression clause to avoid setbacks in land protection.

The new agricultural law of the Balearic Islands will allow each professional farm to accommodate up to 10 tourists, with the option of expanding existing buildings by up to 20% for this activity. This measure, which is proposed as a complementary activity, could translate into thousands of new tourist accommodations on the islands, as ARA Baleares announced. The Minister of Agriculture, Joan Simonet, defends this initiative as a way to make agriculture profitable.

Reduction of urban and environmental guarantees

Apaema, the agricultural organization that brings together organic producers, has also been very harsh in its arguments, especially regarding the promotion of more rural construction and recreational uses: "What need is there for more rural cottages?" asks Apaema. The association believes that the leisure and energy self-consumption uses included in the regulation, which the regional minister defended as an aid to small landowners, "could clearly drift toward substandard housing given the housing problems in our region."

"The draft bill could allow for covert legalization of buildings built before 1991 and rural leisure activities," which is not what a primary sector regulation should promote, according to Apaema. The organization also criticizes the amendments to Law 5/2005 and Law 12/2017, which would favor non-agricultural uses, as well as the replacement of prior authorizations with responsible declarations, which would reduce territorial controls.

The GOB regrets that the island councils' territorial powers are being emptied to exempt certain uses, and that it is exclusively the Ministry of Agriculture that can determine recreational and urban uses, when this aspect is the specific responsibility of the island institutions.

The model cannot be for more recreational uses.

Apaema asserts that the law does not clarify the agrarian model desired for the Balearic Islands in the coming years. "In a context of a critical situation such as that of the sector, it is essential that the law outlines a clear strategy, a guiding principle from which to deploy public agricultural policies," says the organization, which laments that the law prolongs "the agony" of the sick person (the countryside) "by transferring powers from other activities and economic sectors to it, using a ruined rural land. "We cannot expect agriculture to also dedicate itself to carrying out complementary activities," it concludes.

Apaema, the Unió de Pagesos (Country of Agriculture), and the GOB (Government of the Basque Country) consider it "absurd" that the Regional Ministry prioritizes activities that are not specific to the countryside. "It is worrying that it does not address one of the main problems: rural land is the playing field for all improper activity, increasingly marginalizing agricultural activity," the organic farmers point out. In this regard, the GEN-GOB of Eivissa warned that, if an agrarian approach is not adopted "instead of an urban and speculative proposal", it is definitely betting "on the death of the countryside".

Prioritizing renewable energy in rural areas when there is no relief

In terms of energy, the GOB rejects the idea that the energy transition should entail, as the regulations advocate, the "loss of agricultural land and speculation." It opposes the exemption of authorizations for self-consumption installations and the use of agrovoltaics as a means of installing large photovoltaic plants on agricultural land. It proposes limiting the power, occupancy, and height of installations, prioritizing roofs and degraded land, and creating a public registry of installations.

Several rural entities criticize the fact that, while clarification is provided and reference is made to how to install agrovoltaic installations, there is no mention "to mechanisms aimed at addressing the lack of generational relevance, professionalization, and access to land."

Forest management and intensive livestock farming

Regarding the strictly forestry sector, the GOB (Bolivian Government) attacks "the commodification of forests and the possible privatization of public forest management" in its arguments. It proposes limiting biomass exploitation, preserving mature forests, and maintaining the corps of Environmental Agents. It also rejects the fifth additional provision on intensive poultry farming and requests a moratorium with a specific sectoral plan. According to the GOB, the arguments highlight the need for an agrarian law that truly protects the soil and farmers, guaranteeing a sustainable model that respects the natural environment.