Spain’s deadly floods are likely to threaten food supply chains across the country and throughout wider Europe.
As images of Valencia’s devastating flood circulated last week, one area that was not so widely shown was the region’s sprawling farmlands, even though these were also submerged in water.
Valencia and the surrounding regions of Almería and Andalusia produce the lion’s share of Spain’s fresh produce, including more than 60 per cent of the country’s citrus fruits.
The AVA-ASAJA (Valencian Agricultural Producers’ Association) says that they expect “significant damage” to the region’s crops and operations, as reported in The Grocer industry magazine.
The full extent of the damage is still unclear, as many farmers have been unable to access their farmlands. The floods have blocked off rural roads and much agricultural infrastructure, including greenhouses, machinery, and packing plants.
The AVA-ASAJA, however, says they expect thousands of hectares of citrus, persimmons, vegetables, vines, and other crops to have been lost.
The agricultural areas most affected by the floods are La Ribera Alta and Baixa, L’Horta, Hoya de Buñol, Utiel-Requena, Camp de Túria, and Los Serranos.
Livestock such as pigs and cows have also been affected, with local farmers already raising concerns about the potential problems of feeding and watering the surviving animals.
For the past year Spain has been going through one of the worst droughts in its history. This has left farmland so dry that it can’t absorb excess water leaving many citrus, persimmon, and vegetable farms flooded.
If these farms remain underwater for excessive periods, not just the crops will be affected: the trees could die, destroying generations of effort and entire livelihoods.
Spain’s agricultural catastrophe could impact British supermarket fruit and veg aisles
The impacts of this agricultural disaster will be felt far beyond Spain. The country is one of the largest fruit and vegetable exporters in Europe and is the world’s top exporter of oranges.
Spain supplies 25 per cent of Britain’s fruit imports and 8 per cent of its vegetable imports, according to The Grocer. This includes produce such as lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, and citrus fruit.
It’s possible that the famous bitter oranges from Seville and the sweeter oranges from Valencia will be in short supply for the popular British marmalade season, which takes place each year from January to February.
Extreme weather in Spain is a continued threat to European food security
This isn’t the first time that European countries have been impacted by extreme weather in Spain.
Just last year, the UK faced shortages for weeks of popular fruits and vegetables, including peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers, due to droughts occurring in agricultural regions of Catalonia and Andalusia.
What’s more, the Andalusian city Almería boasts the largest concentration of greenhouses in the world, with thousands of hectares of fresh produce growing there. If these are left unprotected against increased extreme weather, Europe’s food supplychain could be at further risk.
This is yet another dire reminder of how vulnerable our global food system is to climate change and the need for better food security policies.
