The rise of the Mediterranean woody crops in Southern Spain

Abstract

The area occupied by woody crops in Spain has undergone an enormous increase in size and, more importantly, a profound green revolution that generates enormous harvest volumes that nourish the important national agro-export sector, where products such as olive oil, wine and almonds reach a notable significance. The processes of intensification follow a common pattern, which involves the occupation of the flattest and most fertile soils by firms with an ownership structure favourable for investment; the use of new varieties; and the design of denser planting patterns in which irrigation is an indispensable element and mechanization ubiquitous. The management of digitized spatial information has allowed us to map the evolution of the land uses of the olive grove, the vineyard and the almond orchard in each of the provinces where the regional specialization in these crops is greatest. This has allowed us to learn the key spatial/temporal aspects of these processes of change that are far from complete and that have led to a profound modification of agricultural landscapes, such that fragmentation and polyculture are giving way to geometry, compactness and the concentration of monoculture.