Gabriel Vicens: “The future of the Balearic countryside must be green, or there will be no future”

What would you say is the main problem facing the Balearic agricultural sector today in terms of generational renewal?

When it comes to generational renewal, what we need is an initiative with a business mindset. We still cling to the classic view that farming is a sacrifice, where farmers spend all day out in the fields, which doesn’t appeal to people. The focus isn’t on the use of technology, but on sacrifice. Naturally, that makes it easier to pursue other paths.

The Balearic Islands is one of the Spanish regions with the fewest young farmers. What factors explain this situation?

Tourism. This is the driving force behind the Balearic Islands. When it comes to tourism, we have everything from hospitality, restaurants, private excursions, services and more. All of that is far more appealing than the countryside. While I see that some young people do have a business mindset, they’re very few and far between. People also generally look for comfort, but of course, the countryside isn’t exactly comfortable.

Do low profits and high upfront costs also play a role?

I don’t believe so, because young farmers receive support that’s not available in any other profession. They get grants that don’t need to be repaid. Other professions require proof of expenses, but that’s not the case here. There’s no other profession where you’re paid just to start working. It’s quite the opposite.

 I have a specific example of a 22-year-old who is already making more than €200,000 in revenue from farming produce. If you have a business mindset, it’s feasible.

What do you mean by a lack of a business mindset?

I mean lots of people jump in without thinking about who’s going to buy from them. Some people wake up one day and decide to start a business without having done any market research. If you don’t know who you’re selling to, you’ll end up eating your own tomatoes. We need to think of the customer first and production second. The same goes for other projects: you can’t just open a horse-riding centre simply because you like horses. If you don’t assess demand, you’ll go out of business. Every business, including agricultural ones, requires planning and a market-based approach.

What consequences does farmland abandonment have on the countryside and rural economy?

Peoples’ opinions on the land differ greatly. Some want it all to be covered in woodland, while others want to see it all neatly cultivated, without a blade of grass in sight. But that’s not the point; we need to look a little further.

 We’re an island—a group of islands. Here, if cargo ships stop coming, our supermarkets run out of stock. We saw this with COVID and the war in Ukraine. When a real crisis strikes, the first thing to run out is food.

 That’s why we need a reserve of productive farmland. And not just land, but technology too. Why is the Netherlands the world’s leading crop producer despite being a small country with low levels of groundwater? Because its farming system relies on greenhouses and vertical farming. The same applies in the United Arab Emirates. Technology is what’s missing.

What does this new project to modernise farming involve?

Water is the basis of everything. Without water, production is low. Groundwater reserves are running low, and when there’s no rain, the countryside suffers. The future lies in the reuse of recycled water and in building more reservoirs to expand irrigated areas. With water and irrigation, the sector thrives. We also need to change our mindset: we can’t continue with large-scale plantations. We must learn from Jaén, Murcia and Almería, which are competitive because they produce more goods of higher quality.

Does the plan include training in innovation and business management?

Yes, training is promoted. Plans are in place to open an agricultural park, a project led by Palma City Council, and agricultural cooperatives are already running courses on an ongoing basis. The Regional Ministry also offers training. If an irrigation community asks us to provide an irrigation course, we’ll do it. There’s no lack of training, rather a lack of coordination between the primary sector and the authorities, which is preventing true needs from being communicated effectively.

Focusing on water, what is the difference between treated water and recycled water?

Treated water is supplied by each town’s water treatment plant. In order to be used in farming, it requires further treatment: tertiary treatment, which includes disinfection, filtration and other processes to comply with EU regulations and the Balearic Water Management Plan. This produces recycled water that is safe and rich in nutrients, which reduces the need for fertilisers, lowers costs for farmers and improves yields.

What specific benefits have been seen?

We’ve compared fields irrigated with well water and recycled water. In almond trees, for example, growth doubles and yields are higher. Moreover, the Regional Ministry provides this water free of charge to irrigation communities, which is a great help. We take care of installation, maintenance and water supply, and even advise irrigators on how to irrigate and how often.

Are farmers still reluctant to use recycled water?

Yes, but it’s a generational issue. The younger generations understand this perfectly well; older people still think it’s ‘dirty water’. That’s why we hold open days, such as the upcoming one in Santa Eulària, to show that our reservoirs are teeming with life: birds, fish and plants. Recycled water is odourless, non-polluting and a valuable resource. In fact, whenever there’s a breakdown, the irrigators ring us straight away, worried.

Finally, how do you imagine the Balearic countryside in 10–20 years’ time?

I’d like to see it all green. Whether it’s farms or forests. It worries me to see bare mountains, because without forests, there’s no rain. We need forests for water and farms to protect the landscape. The future must be green, or there will be no future.