The Cajamar Group, in its role as gold sponsor of the first edition of Expo Sagris at Ifema Madrid, has presented its key publication: 'Agri-food Sector and Labor: A Relationship in Transformation'. The work, a result of its commitment to knowledge transfer, highlights the growing concern about labor availability and the need for a thorough review of working practices and qualification requirements within agriculture and the food industry.
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The presentation of the work of the Cajamar Group Foundation served as a framework for an essential debate on the structural challenges and the new ones opportunities that the Spanish agri-food sector is going through.
Ignacio Atance, Director of Studies and Publications of the Cajamar Group Foundation, highlighted the current relevance of this type of study. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized that these publications are crucial “as they allow for discussion about the future of employment and reflection on the ability to attract and retain talent, which is currently the biggest concern for employers in the sector".
Later, Atance, along with Dionisio OrtizProfessor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and coordinator of the work, elaborated on the reasons for the study. Atance explained the goal of the publication: “With this publication we wanted to delve deeper into the situation and its causes, to understand to what extent they are shared with other economic sectors or with other countries, in order to, based on a greater understanding, an integrated vision that considers sectors, territories, employees and employers, be able to contribute to overcoming the current difficulties".
For his part, the coordinator Dionisio Ortiz He emphasized the process of structural change who lives off agricultural employment:Agricultural employment is undergoing a structural transformation that goes beyond mere productivity or competitiveness. It involves re-evaluating the identity of agricultural activity, the demographic makeup of rural areas, and the role of the people who make up the sector, including those from other countries.Ortiz also pointed to the evolution of labor relations:Agriculture today is less family-run and more wage-based, which poses new challenges in attracting and retaining labor. There is room to improve working conditions and move towards greater equity.".
The day concluded with a colloquium in which various representatives from the value chain participated, including Karina Pereira (FIAB), Andrés Góngora (COAG), Manuel Piedra (UPA) and Juan José Álvarez (ASAJA), who shared their perspectives on the immediate challenges of the sector.
Finally, the president of Cajamar, Eduardo BaamondeBaamonde closed the event with some compelling conclusions. He emphasized that the book is “a call to action in the face of a labor scenario that is not temporary, but structural, and which demands sustained responses over timeAmong the key actions The points raised by the president include the need for:
To socially revalue agricultural work and agro-industrial as an activity strategic and future.
Redouble efforts in the attracting and retaining talent through the improvement of the working conditions or continuing education.
Invest in innovationartificial intelligence and robotics such as keys to increasing productivity and improve working conditions.
