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Terraces of dryland wheat descend from the Sierra de Alcubierre mountains in northern Spain, the most arid region of the Ebro River Valley. Yields here are highly dependent on rainfall, with most farmers fallowing their fields for a year after harvest. Record-high spring temperatures combined with two years of drought in the early 2020s cut Spain’s grain production by two-thirds, requiring the country to import more than half of its needs, mostly to feed its large livestock industry. Despite the European Union’s generous subsidies to small farmers, Spain remains highly dependent on grain from other countries, accounting for around 70 percent of the EU’s grain imports each year. The Spanish are not alone. Researchers estimate that by 2050 fully half the world’s population will depend on imported food to survive.

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©2022 George Steinmetz
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Terraces of dryland wheat descend from the Sierra de Alcubierre mountains in northern Spain, the most arid region of the Ebro River Valley. Yields here are highly dependent on rainfall, with most farmers fallowing their fields for a year after harvest. Record-high spring temperatures combined with two years of drought in the early 2020s cut Spain’s grain production by two-thirds, requiring the country to import more than half of its needs, mostly to feed its large livestock industry. Despite the European Union’s generous subsidies to small farmers, Spain remains highly dependent on grain from other countries, accounting for around 70 percent of the EU’s grain imports each year. The Spanish are not alone. Researchers estimate that by 2050 fully half the world’s population will depend on imported food to survive.

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