In the development of the future National Strategic Plan (NSP) for the CAP 2021-2027, after conducting a thorough preliminary study of the initial situation in Spain, improving access to land has been identified as one of the main needs of young farmers.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) has promoted the formation of this Focus Group of experts on "Access to Land," which has studied, debated and analyzed in depth the current situation in Spain, the complex state of affairs involving numerous conditioning factors of diverse nature (social, economic, legislative, emotional, cultural, etc.).

The objectives of the Land Access Focus Group are:

• Analyze the current situation of access to land in Spain, approaching it from different perspectives.
• Identify the barriers and obstacles that young and new farmers encounter in accessing land.
• Explore possible practical solutions that, from the perspective of land access, contribute to generational renewal and the establishment of young and new professionals in the agricultural sector, supporting and maintaining the family farming model.
• Conduct collaborative reflection to assist in the development of a document that can support dialogue between the relevant administrations in the development of the "CAP Strategic Plan."

Working papers

• Study on Access to Land - Final Document of the GFAT

More information

Within the framework of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has decided to launch an Advisory Focus Group on AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems, AKIS) due to the growing importance they are taking on within the future Common Agricultural Policy. A Focus Group is a multidisciplinary group of experts who, over a limited period of time, compile and support studies, reports and good practices on a specific topic. The aim is to clarify the current situation, identifying possible solutions to existing problems or opportunities.

The current CAP Regulation proposal presented by the Commission in June 2018 includes a cross-cutting objective: "to modernize the sector by promoting and sharing knowledge, innovation, and digitalization in agricultural and rural areas and encouraging their uptake." To modernize the sector, farm advisory services will play a leading role, and these "should be integrated into the interrelated services of farm advisors, researchers, producer organizations, and other relevant stakeholders in agricultural knowledge and innovation systems."

Furthermore, when describing the elements that will ensure the modernization of the CAP, it is requested that "emphasis be placed on the elements of the CAP Strategic Plan that support the modernization of the agricultural sector and the CAP, and should contain, in particular (...) a description of how the advisory services referred to in Article 13, research, and CAP networks will work together within the framework of the AKIS, and how advisory and innovation support services are provided." The venue for the first meeting of the group is Madrid. The National Rural Network will support the holding of this meeting of the new AKIS Focus Group by managing travel expenses for the members of the Focus Group who require it, up to the budgetary limit. Call for the selection of experts to participate in the Focus Group on "AKIS ADVICE"

Within the framework of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food has decided to launch a focus group on digitalization and big data in the agri-food and forestry sectors and in rural areas.

As various recent studies and reports demonstrate, the future of the economy in general lies in digitalization, and the challenges facing rural areas and the agri-food and forestry sectors must be addressed through digital transformation if we want them to remain, respectively, a vibrant and populated environment and a competitive and sustainable sector, economically, socially, and environmentally.

In the case of agricultural and agri-food industries, the use of technology is essential to maximize crop yields and resource use, increasing productivity and generating a more environmentally friendly and climate-adapted industry. Likewise, the development of a true Food Industry 4.0 that interacts with consumers and offers attractive products and services is essential to continue being leaders in marketing and exports, generating wealth, employment, and added value.

• Call for experts to participate in the Focus Group on "Digitization and Big Data in the Agri-Food Sector and Rural Environment"
• GF DBDA Application form for participation as a GF expert
• Preliminary report on GF works, March 20
• Focus group on digitalization and Big Data in the agri-food, forestry, and rural sectors. Reflections on the challenges of digitalization
• Focus group on digitalization and Big Data in the agri-food, forestry, and rural sectors. Ideas for a strategic approach to digitalization

This is the second focus group promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries (MAGRAMA) as part of the EIP-AGRI development process in Spain. The goal is to bring innovation to the forestry sector while improving the sector's capacity to organize, structure, and cooperate in implementing new models for the use, transportation, and marketing of forest products.

The focus group on Forest Innovation has a relatively broad theme, covering all aspects that may impact the economically sustainable use of all forest products, including wood in general, cork, resin, essential oils, game, and those currently marketed, as well as new forest products that could feed a niche market and are not yet exploited or marketed.

This group does not cover industrial innovation applicable to the subsequent transformation of these products, once they have passed through the raw material pool of the corresponding industries, although a first transformation carried out prior to their entry into the aforementioned pool could be included.

The nature of this group is technical, oriented toward promoting technological, organizational, and commercial innovation in its field, while excluding regulatory aspects or forestry, energy, or environmental policies to be developed by public administrations.

This focus group, like any other, must be based on the EIP-AGRI Strategic Plan, which gives it its legal status, and on EU Regulation 1305/2013, which regulates the implementation of the EAFRD for the period 2014-2020, which co-finances these activities. Furthermore, this focus group must be fully coordinated with the actions planned in the Socioeconomic Activation Plan for the Forestry Sector (PASSFOR), approved in January 2014 by the Sectoral Conference, which defines the main innovation needs in the forestry sector.

• Expression of Interest Form
• Goals
• Relationship with the EIP-AGRI Strategic Plan
• Relationship with the EAFRD
• Relationship with PASSFOR
• Problems to solve and opportunities to seize
• Expected results
• Work dynamics
• Schedule and financing
• Evaluation of the work done
• FINAL REPORT. Socioeconomic assessment of the forestry sector
• FINAL REPORT. Priority Document
• FINAL REPORT. BD Innovation Sheets
• Interested contacts focus group

October 2015-June 2016. Results available

This Focus Group is the first to be launched in Spain, as a contribution to the rollout of the European Innovation Partnership for Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (AEI-AGRI) in our country. It brought together scientists and technicians specializing in the use of energy for irrigation, consulting, and infrastructure management for irrigation communities, along with farmers, companies in the sector, NGOs, and affected administrations, totaling 20 experts. It began its work in November 2015, held its last meeting on May 23rd, and concluded its work in the first half of June, and its results will be made available to the public.

Spanish irrigation has been showing increasing dependence on energy, with estimates indicating that it accounts for around 2.5% of national electricity consumption. This dependence impacts both the profitability and competitiveness of many farms and the environment. These very aspects have formed the Group's focus.

With the help of both Group components and external collaborators, 75 different types of innovative initiatives have been compiled and documented, oriented towards the diverse objectives and areas of the Group: energy monitoring and auditing, energy optimization of the design of pressure irrigation networks, pumping and canals, preventive maintenance, other systems for reducing energy consumption of infrastructures, systems to reduce consumption on farms, systems to minimize the cost paid for energy, joint purchasing, alternative generation of renewable energy, reduction and absorption of greenhouse gas emissions, prevention of bird mortality on power lines, and prevention and eradication of invasive species that affect water and energy efficiency.

The innovations compiled vary in their development stages, from R&D results and prototypes to established commercial solutions in the process of dissemination. Typically, the end users potentially interested in these innovations are irrigation communities or farmers, but they may also be useful to technical experts, consulting and construction firms, or related public administrations.

This Group has also sought to promote contacts between various stakeholders interested in creating AEI-AGRI Operational Groups focused on the drafting and implementation of innovative projects related to energy use in irrigation. To this end, the Group has developed a database of professionals who have expressed interest throughout its operations, including all types of profiles.

Finally, the Group has also prepared recommendations on information, training, and advice, as well as R&D&I, always for the group's thematic areas, with the intention of guiding the actions of the administrations responsible for these matters.
The final results of the Focus Group's activities can be accessed on the National Rural Network website via the following links:

• Focus Group Design Document (November 2015)
• Focus Group Components
• Professionals and organizations interested in the field of the Focus Group
• Background document, outlook and diagnosis of the Focus Group's topic
• Innovative knowledge bank
• Research, development and innovation priorities
• Priorities in information, training and advice at the group level