All measures are necessary to guarantee the future of Basque agriculture and livestock

Climate change and water scarcity currently do not significantly affect the supply of water for human consumption, but the reality is different in the primary sector, which has been the first to notice the impact. In the past months, rainfall has decreased significantly in Euskal Herriawith a level that has left minimal references over the past 30 years, especially at several points in Araba/Álava and Navarra.

In this context, the Table of agriculture and climate change met this morning in Lakua to analyze the situation facing agricultural and livestock industries, and start by defining the measures and decisions to be taken into account, both in the short and long term. In fact, Arantza TapiaMinister of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, has stated that more will follow after this first meeting.

In addition to those responsible for the Ministries of Agriculture and the Environment of the Basque Government and of the three provincial councils, several trade unions and associations of the Basque primary sector participated in the meeting (ehn, UAGA, INBA, EPEA And garlandamong others too UR And Euskalmet).

After this meeting, Tapia pointed out that, as judged by the roundtable, the drought has not affected the entire Basque society so far, but it is hitting agricultural professionals hard. For this reason, he pointed out that since climate change is a reality, “forecasts require industry anticipation and support“.

In this context, the Basque government has proposed several measuresaimed at improving the efficiency of water management as much as possible, and at “renewing, completing and strengthening” the infrastructure to reduce leaks in the networks and promote good crop irrigation practices.

Moreover, despite the fact that the problem in the BAC is still not as serious or obvious compared to other places, there is an element that to assure especially: the food that livestock needs, in addition to grass (cereals, alfalfa, maize…), since it is produced in other areas with greater drought, the quantities have decreased significantly, and prices have risen.

The sector expects the need to be felt by the end of the summer. For this reason, the demands of the sector and the proposals of the Basque government are aimed at the same goal. Interference of the executive in the management of (external) purchases and deepening of measures for food production in the Basque Country itself, gradually moving towards an increasingly less dependent model.

Commitment to a fairer and more sustainable model

Garikoitz Nazabal and Andoni García, from the union ehnindicated after the meeting that they had received both the meeting and the measures presented therein “with good eyes”.

Nazabal has emphasized that “possible help from government departments is one thing, like managing purchases, but all shops and distribution chains selling local products should know that local production costs more and that the corresponding price must be paid”. For example, he has denounced that “it cannot be ignored that the primary sector becomes charge for increased production costs and since it is not possible to maintain it, it is before a disappear from the industry“.

In this sense, he warns that there is climate change and “lack of water“but at the bottom,”we are facing a food shortageTherefore, the consumer must also be aware that the product must be paid for at the price of what it costs so that the industry can be sustained.

Likewise, Andoni García has precisely referred to the need to move towards a more sustainable and self-sufficient model. “We need a farming model that doesn’t depend on it for outside purchases; we need more farmers and help for young people who start with a huge effort in this task,” he stressed.

It has done that too they strongly reject industrial production models and some recent trends such as protein generation in laboratories. He insisted that this model is not possible and added that the commitment to an efficient and sustainable sector It should be based on “the support of small and medium-sized producers, who will produce in a more sustainable way, taking into account the climate change context.”