The Spanish farmer must adopt an entrepreneurial mindset

Farmers can no longer be passive observers of their progressive loss of competitiveness. What the countryside needs are entrepreneurial farmers. It is necessary to leave behind the traditional farming mindset and start thinking like businesses.

For decades, the agricultural sector has been lamenting the stabilization of prices. Faced with this problem, everyone opted for the easiest solution and simply increased production volume. But the land has its limits, and we can no longer ask more of it. Several factors have contributed to the progressive reduction in profit margins. Among them are competition from developing countries, whose products have very low prices, and the accession of new countries to the European Union. These latter countries have become dangerous competition for Spanish farmers, who are seeing their European subsidies dwindle.

The role of public institutions can be fundamental in finding solutions for the agricultural sector, and it is essential to emphasize the need for them to invest in the construction of irrigation infrastructure, in R&D support, and even in farmer training. For their part, farmers must take certain risks and change their mindset. It is no longer enough to do what has always been done. We must adopt, so to speak, an entrepreneurial mindset. If traditional crops have led us to a situation of stagnation, perhaps we should consider new types of crops, high-quality crops with greater added value. This will require farmers to invest in research and new technologies, the two key factors that enable the development of new, more competitive products. As a result, producers could make progress in reducing production costs and opening up to new markets.

In Spain, there are some good examples of regions that have sought alternatives to traditional agriculture, such as Almería and Granada. Let's hope that the other agricultural regions and the relevant public institutions take action before we find ourselves immersed in a much larger crisis.