The Business Circle has published a Position Paper highlighting the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector as an example of international competitiveness. Thanks to a profound transformation driven by Spain's accession to the European Economic Community, the country has become the world's third-largest exporter of fruits and vegetables, behind only China and the Netherlands. The think tank urges an update to the sector's narrative and the addressing of structural challenges through two key strategic pillars.
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The study prepared by Roland Berger The Business Circle emphasizes that Spain's position in the world podium is due to a virtuous combination de natural endowments, know-how business and the adoption of new technologiesThis performance is not only a reason for corporate pridebut rather consolidates the sector as a pillar of productivity for the Spanish economy as a whole.
Spain possesses significant advantages to establish itself as a European fruit and vegetable trading platform Thanks to its proximity to large consumer markets, its quality infrastructures and a vast experience in logistics of perishable products.
Growth Potential and Synergies with Latin America
The business organization sees strategic potential in the development of trade links with Latin AmericaSpanish experience in marketing could be complemented by the region's production capabilities, allowing for the articulation of transatlantic value chainsTo realize these synergies, a public support focused on facilitating joint ventures, technology transfer and the development of adequate logistics infrastructure.
Ricardo Menoyo, coordinator of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector Agriculture Laboratory at the Business Circle and president of Agroatlas Europe, emphasizes the opportunity: "The Spanish fruit and vegetable sector has considerable growth potential, and now is the time to update the narrative to reflect the competitive advantages and opportunities existing growth.”
Urgent Challenges and Strategic Pillars
Despite its leadership, the sector faces growing challenges that threaten its position, including the intensification of adverse weather events, a water management increasingly complex and the emergence of new competitors (such as North Africa or Türkiye) with more advantageous cost structures. Internally, problems persist, such as excessive fragmentation, structural labor shortage and the lack of generational relief.
To counter these challenges and complement the National Food Strategy (ENA), the Circle proposes a strategic reflection around two axes:
Positioning Spain as a European trading platform, evolving from being a leading producer to a value chain facilitator within the European Union.
Increase productivity and competitiveness of companies, what happens eliminate regulatory restrictions unnecessary that hinder the optimization of productivity.
Measures to Strengthen Productivity and Leadership
Fernando López de los Mozos, a partner at Roland Berger, points out that leadership cannot depend solely on product quality: “Spain has a unique competitive advantage in the fruit and vegetable sector, but to reinforce this leadership, having the best product is not enough. consolidation of the sector, the development of the supply chain to have product available 12 months a year, the adaptation of labor policy that facilitates access to labor and the regulatory simplification These are strategic factors if we want to turn Spain into the reference hub in Europe".
El Businessmen's Circle It details several priority actions to boost productivity:
Labor Framework: Create instruments of flexible temporary employment that reflect agricultural seasonality without compromising social protection, in addition to streamlining procedures for hiring foreign workers. There is also the need to professionalize managerial and technical functions to gain efficiency.
Fiscal Framework: Implement tax incentives that encourage investment and growth business
Financing: Expand credit lines to facilitate investments in efficient irrigation systemsrenewable energies and the technological modernization of mines and platforms.
Water Management: Develop a efficient irrigation plan at a national level, with investments in technologies of reuse and desalinationreal-time sensing and the modernization of obsolete infrastructureWater pricing should reflect its cost to promote responsible use.
Regulatory Rationalization: Delete the regulatory redundancy in fertilizers, pesticides, and other inputs to reduce compliance costs. Barriers that discourage [the following] must also be eliminated. youth recruitment to the agricultural sector.
