Comunidad Valenciana farmer's strategies and its effects in the land use change [Spain] | Estrategias seguidas por los agricultores de la Comunidad Valenciana y sus efectos en los usos del suelo

Español; castellano. En la Comunidad Valenciana se ha producido en las últimas décadas un importante desarrollo económico simultáneo a profundos cambios institucionales. Desde la incorporación de España a la Unión Europea, el sector agrario valenciano ha aumentado su competitividad y la economía en su conjunto se ha beneficiado de las elevadas inversiones aprovechando las subvenciones europeas (Región Objetivo 1). La adaptación de los agricultores al nuevo escenario ha sido diversa. El análisis de las estrategias seguidas por distintas categorías de agricultores es de gran interés para comprender la lógica interna del sistema. Para ello, se han seleccionado, mediante un análisis cluster, municipios representativos de distintos tipos de uso del suelo y analizado las estrategias seguidas por distintas categorías de agricultores (segmentados según el tamaño de la explotación, su dedicación y las posibilidades de relevo generacional) en los cambios de uso del suelo de los municipios seleccionados. La diversidad de comportamientos detectados sugiere profundizar en la especificidad de las políticas agrarias para facilitar el logro de los objetivos que se pretende alcanzar.

Inglés. There has been outstanding economic development in the Comunidad Valencia, together with several extensive institutional changes. Since the Spanish entry in to the European Community, the competitiveness agrarian sector of Valencia has increased, and the economy as a whole has profited from the high investments made under the protection of the European subsidies (Region Obj. 1). This institutional change has affected the agricultural policies (CAP reform, Agenda 2000, etc.), the environmental policies, and even the actual legislative framework (State decentralisation, assumption of exclusive competences by the Comunidad Valenciana and entry in the European Community), and also the liberalisation of the trade exchanges with Third Countries (WTO). All of the above has given rise to a growing and diversified competition for the scarce means of production (land, water and labour) and, as a consequence, has led to rapid, important changes in the role played by the agriculture in the Valencian economy. The farmer's have adapted differently to the new scenario, evidencing a high level of heterogeneity. The analysis of the strategies used by farmers is of great interest for the understanding of the internal logic of the system. Thus, municipalities representative of the different types of land use have been selected, by means of a cluster analysis, and the strategies followed by different categories of farmers have been analysed (segmented according to farm size, dedication of time and the possibilities of generation relief) to determine their effect on change in land use in the selected municipalities. The diversity of behaviours detected suggest deepening that agrarian policies should be made more specific to facilitate the achievement of objectives attempting to be reached.