Mallorca farm law row: PSIB warns of rural homes

Mallorca’s rural land is at the centre of a row over new homes: the Balearic Socialists (PSIB) say a draft farm law gives building and tourism more attention than food production. The party made its criticism in Palma, Mallorca, on 16 October, targeting the Balearic Government’s proposal. Its MPs Marc Pons and Malena Riudavets say the draft offers no strategy to help farms produce more, improve their products or adapt to climate change.

The MPs accuse the government of seeking a way to justify more homes on rural land without limits on buildings, while protecting tourist accommodation places. They say the law should instead define and regulate farming so that farmers can make a living from their work.

The party points to its count of words in the draft: it says “housing” appears 31 times and “complementary activities” 44 times. According to the PSIB, “food sovereignty”, “climate change adaptation” and “increased production” do not appear at all, while “agri-food quality” appears once.

The PSIB agrees the farm law needs updating and says it will put forward proposals focused on producing more food, improving quality and making farms profitable. It also wants guidance, planning and monitoring to help farming and livestock adapt to climate change. The party warns that building on productive rural land could increasingly restrict farmers’ choices about their future.

Topics: Agriculture · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com