The cultivable area in the northern marshland of Sagunt shrinks year after year. The abandonment of local agriculture is not a passing fad, but rather a response to the lack of economic support and generational renewal. While empty speeches about food sovereignty are sold, production costs exceed income, and young people seek their future far from the countryside. Without minimum prices or direct aid, the territory empties out.
Technology against abandonment: sensors and smart irrigation 🌱
The digitalization of irrigation through humidity sensors and automated drip irrigation systems allows for reduced water consumption and real-time adjustment of inputs to the crop. Agricultural management platforms based on weather data and yield maps optimize harvests. However, this technology requires an initial investment that no farmer will assume without guarantees of sale at a fair price. Innovation without profitability is just a pretty catalog.
Armchair food sovereignty: a toast with imported oranges 🍊
It turns out that food sovereignty is a very photogenic concept for rallies, but in practice, the Saguntine countryside turns into an industrial estate while supermarkets sell oranges from South Africa. Politicians toast with Valencian cava while the marshland fills with reeds and plastics. If the plan is for young people to grow lettuce to pay mortgages, maybe someone should check the math. The countryside doesn't need speeches, it needs checks.