Path Dependence and the Modernisation of Agriculture: A Case Study of Aragon, 1955–85

Abstract

This paper explains how technological developments and changes in production encouraged and drove the processes of agricultural modernisation that occurred in the second half of the twentieth century, taking the region of Aragon in north eastern Spain as a case study. The main agricultural macro-variables reveal a surge in output, coincident with a far-reaching restructuring of production, in which livestock and animal feeds played a key role. The relative success of this high speed agricultural transformation was largely due to technological progress and the development of Aragon's trade links before 1936. Meanwhile, the earlier development of irrigation schemes, the capitalisation of farms and experimentation with different seed varieties allowed the region to adapt quickly to the new Green Revolution technologies that came to the fore after 1950. At the same time, established trade links allowed a swift transition to livestock and related produce destined for fast developing agro-industrial regions, like Catalonia and Valencia. As in other countries, technological and trade path dependency also explain the polarisation of agricultural development within Aragon itself, and in particular the success of the provinces of Zaragoza and Huesca in contrast to failure and depopulation in Teruel. The experience of Aragon may thus be useful to understand the dynamics of other less developed regions currently in the throes of transformation.

Do no-till and pig slurry application improve barley yield and water and nitrogen use efficiencies in rainfed Mediterranean conditions?

“…Low profitability of rainfed cropping systems drives the farmers towards the diversification of revenues. In the dryland Mediterranean systems of NE Spain that process has led to the establishment of intensive livestock production, mainly pig (Sus scrofa) farming (Clar and Pinilla, 2011;Yagüe and Quílez, 2013). Recent statistics show that pig herd in NE Spain accounts for more than 13 million animals (MAGRAMA, 2013).…”

Evolution of Hay Meadows between 1956, 1986, and 2016 and Its Relation to the Characteristics and Location of the Parcels in the Valley of the River Esera (Pyrenees, Spain)

“…The area corresponding to meadows and crops in the studied area has suffered a progressive decrease with respect to 1956 of 13.59% in 1986 and 49.02% in 2016. This reduction is linked to exogenous factors derived from changes in the productive and market systems [13,37,38], to the adaptation of the productive systems to the characteristics of the environment, and to the dynamics of the farms themselves (size, labor, capitalization capacity, inheritance, etc.) that are not contemplated here [1,[39][40][41][42].…”

Why are agri-food systems resistant to new directions of change? A systematic review

“…A similar case is presented by Magrini, Béfort and Nieddu (2018). Several sources mention infrastructural developments (or lack of) as a factor that hampers change within agri-food systems (Clar and Pinilla, 2011;Hale et al, 2020;Pradhan and Mukherjee, 2018;Thompson and Scoones, 2009), without however discussing the wider implications of this. Infrastructural rigidities cross the boundaries of the agri-food sectors, as they also involve transport and energy systems.…”