A recent European Parliament study on the future of agriculture in the 2020s warns of a serious danger for Spain, driven by predictable farmland abandonment over the coming decade. It estimates that around 56 million hectares are at risk, with about 5 million may remain unplanted by 2030. According to the agricultural organization Unión de Uniones, roughly 10% face high or very high abandonment risk, translating to a potential loss of about 2.3 million hectares—an area roughly three times the size of the Community of Madrid.
The official EU report also highlights a decline in Spain’s agricultural area between 2012 and 2018, notably in the central peninsular regions such as Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Madrid, and the Basque Country, as well as along the Mediterranean coast in areas like Murcia and Comunitat Valenciana. Industry groups point to a severe profitability crisis in farming and livestock, making a steady generational transition difficult, with the average age of producers exceeding 62.
Labor shortages persist, the countryside is aging, and family succession on farms remains complex. In Spain, temporary workers play a crucial role in the primary sector. Asaja records about 150,000 applications from people seeking work across various campaigns, with many traveling only for harvest periods. Beyond these foreign seasonal workers, immigrants increasingly participate in the needed generational replacement, sometimes purchasing or renting land to take on leadership roles.
This trend is illustrated by the case of Constanin and Mihaela Denes, both 37, who moved from Romania to manage a farm in Ayora, Valencia. In 2008, after a real estate downturn disrupted their earlier careers, they turned to agriculture. They describe the sector as reviving as an employment option in a country where thousands have lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that many seek additional income, including foreigners. They operate a 138-hectare farm with 600 goats, growing grain and producing cheese. The former owner sold the business because the family preferred not to live in the countryside.
Although immigrants remain a minority, many arrive, find work, receive training to advance, and become indispensable to the farm, sometimes bringing their families and eventually owning plots years later, according to Asaja.
Generational change across Spain’s agricultural sector is becoming increasingly complex. The Ministry of Agriculture notes that Spain has the lowest share of young farmers in the European Union, underscoring the need for bold action to reverse aging trends and create more and better opportunities for rural youth, preventing social imbalances in rural regions.
Eurostat data show that only 3.8% of farm managers in Spain are under 35, compared with the EU average of 23%. The path forward requires substantial progress, and young immigrants are playing a growing role in Spain’s primary sector.
Nourdine Belazy, a 30-year-old herb grower from Outat El Haj in the Fez region of Morocco, cultivates herbs in Castelló and is also involved in vegetable production that supports Mediterranean crop development in nearby towns such as Vila-real, Nules, and Cabanes. Belazy employs several temporary workers during harvest seasons and works as an entrepreneur and apprentice electrician. As a member of the Unió de Llauradors, he participates in vocational training to enhance his qualifications.
Nearby, farms controlled by foreign owners reveal similar stories. Daniel Marius Albu, born in Otelu Roşu, Romania, now runs an agricultural business after years as a seasonal worker. He recalls starting with the first olive and tomato harvests and notes that the countryside presents a promising future, especially in light of abandoned fields that others no longer rent or buy. He mentions potatoes among the crops he markets.
Are immigrants the solution for the necessary generational shift in the countryside? The new migrant-farmer model is spreading across Spain. Cristóbal Aguado, head of AVA-Asaja, notes that many farmers have difficulty keeping up their activities and that a large portion of migrants who choose farming prefer seasonal work with a guaranteed wage in exchange for daily labor. In some regions, however, more migrants are renting or purchasing land, a trend accelerated by the pandemic, which redirected many people toward rural livelihoods.
Aguado adds that public administrations must develop a roadmap enabling young people and migrants to become part of rural life with viable futures, while recognizing that immigration alone cannot be the only solution for generational renewal.