Spain’s agri-food sector has shown strength at recent events like Alimentaria Barcelona and stands as a major engine of the country’s exports. Yet it faces several challenges ahead. Climate change threatens crops and key resources such as water, while food sovereignty calls for affordable access to staple products for all citizens. A third challenge lies in how legislations are drafted—too often guided by trends rather than a solid scientific base, notes Fernando Moraleda, director of the Food Office at Llorente y Cuenca (LLYC).
“Veganism or animalism now influence the diets of young people more than science itself,” says Moraleda, who spoke at Alimentaria & Hostelco 2024. Among the sector’s challenges are two other areas: fighting misinformation and strengthening education.
A drought emergency is also a shared concern for the Spanish food industry and for researchers such as those at IRTA, the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentària in Catalonia. “All forecasts show that by 2030 water availability in the Mediterranean basin will have fallen by 20%, yet agriculture must keep producing the same quality and quantity of food. If swift measures are not taken, the situation will be unsustainable,” warned Robert Savé, an emeritus researcher at IRTA and former Ecology professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
Given this landscape, Moraleda notes that “records from the last six decades in Spain show an accumulated value 16% below normal,” so drought is not a temporary phenomenon. “We cannot coexist with a drought that is already systemic without restructuring existing frameworks,” asserts the consultant. He highlights the importance of PERTE agroalimentario for guiding sustainability and innovation, and calls for new programs that expand demand for the food industry rather than abandoning this orientation.
Nueva PERTE this semester
The government has announced a second PERTE round following the success of the first, which awarded 163 million euros in grants and more than 20 million in loans. The Ministry of Industry aims for a total of 40 million euros in grants and 10 million in loans for the second line of aid, with the call expected in the first half of 2024, said Minister Jordi Hereu in a parliamentary session.
“In recent years, the entire sector, from farming to distribution, has worked to adopt technologies for more efficient water use, to reduce fertilizers and plastics, and to depend less on fossil fuels,” confirms Sara Bover, head of the Food Industries division at IRTA. She also notes environmental improvements through waste reuse, livestock waste valorization, and the use of regenerated water.
Across the supply chain, Moraleda adds that efforts have been made to implement packaging obligations, bulk products in supermarkets, and new levies or public registries, which have at times provoked responses from affected groups.
“In the coming years there will be an intense debate about which production structures we should modify regarding food quotas, import markets, the size and concentration of European food companies, and environmental regulation,” predicts the director of LLYC’s Food Office, a unit created to address the growing interest and economic impact of the sector.
His conclusion echoes the idea that, as the food chain law already states, the goal should be collaboration rather than enrichment of any single link. Regulations in these areas affect the primary sector, industry, and distribution, so it is essential to address their impact from a chain perspective rather than as three separate sectors, he recommends.
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