Using Collective Farming to Improve Farm Structures and Drive Generational Renewal in Spain

[EN] Land abandonment and the lack of generational renewal in farming are serious issues in European agriculture with social, environmental and economic implications. This article reports on the recent experiences of joint cropland management (JCM) in Spain. These initiatives are based on the groupi...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: García Alvarez-Coque, José María|||0000-0002-4334-7843, Piñeiro, Verónica
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/193237
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/193237
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Land abandonment
Join cropland management
Agri-food cooperatives
Generational renewal
ECONOMIA APLICADA
02.- Poner fin al hambre, conseguir la seguridad alimentaria y una mejor nutrición, y promover la agricultura sostenible
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] Land abandonment and the lack of generational renewal in farming are serious issues in European agriculture with social, environmental and economic implications. This article reports on the recent experiences of joint cropland management (JCM) in Spain. These initiatives are based on the grouping of plots to achieve different objectives through social and organisational innovation. JCM involves three types of actor: landowners, cooperatives and the people who cultivate the land, who may or may not be landowners or members of the cooperative. Implementation of this strategy, which is being adopted by an increasing number of agri- food marketing cooperatives, requires substantial social capital. Therefore, collaboration between public and private actors is needed to generate and transfer knowledge on these initiatives. The Operational Group on Social Innovation in Land Management (GO_InnoLand) was created in 2020 to support JCM processes, which help young farmers who are setting up in the agricultural sector. JCM initiatives could be one way to prevent the abandonment of small- scale land plots and drive the demographic challenge. Public policies can support this strategy by enhancing social and organisational innovation, facilitating fi nancial instruments, providing technical assistance, improving collaboration networks and linking landholders with new professionals.