A Plan to Tackle Rural Flight in Ibiza

The Island Council is committed to protecting biodiversity through the primary sector

What does it consist of?

Between 2017 and 2023, Ibiza led a comprehensive plan to protect the rural environment in order to prevent rural flight and protect biodiversity. The plan, led by the Island Council with public funds, received an investment over €2.6 million.

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Data

PROJECT TITLE IN THE CALL
Protection and recovery of the natural environment and the agricultural biodiversity of Ibiza
LOCATION
Ibiza
Entity submitting the PROJECT
Consell Insular d'Eivissa
Entity that executes the project
Consell Insular d'Eivissa
Project code
ITS2017-027
Total project amount
2.642.244 €
ITS granted amount
2.642.244 €
Executed amount
2.642.244 €
Call year
2017
Budget implementation status
Executed
Purpose
Environment
Budget execution
Executed: 100%
Last updated
08.05.2025

The project

Ibiza’s traditional landscape is rooted in farming. However, the progressive decline of the industry is proving to be a threat not only to local production, but also to biodiversity, ecological stability and the island’s cultural heritage. In response, Ibiza’s Island Council launched an environmental protection plan to restore the countryside and its long-standing uses.

The plan involved the creation of a support system targeted at small-scale farms with low profitability, yet high ecological importance. This time, the goal was not to increase production, but to curb the decline in farming activity in order to protect the structure of the land, preserve native species and reduce risks such as erosion and forest fires.

The yearly decline in usable farmland and livestock holdings in recent years was one of the main factors behind the plan. This decline directly impacts the natural environment’s ability to regenerate and sustain ecosystems. This plan sought to reverse this trend from a wider perspective, focusing on the environmental services provided by Ibizan agriculture to society as a whole.

Now fully completed, with a higher budget execution rate than expected, the plan leaves a clear roadmap: protect the natural environment from within the countryside, understand the landscape as a living legacy, and strengthen the role of farmers in land management.