The counselor of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, Julián Martínez Lizán, has toured the facilities of the family business Peñarrubia del Alto Guadiana SL, located in Ossa de Montiel and specialized in the cultivation, harvesting, transformation, and sale of aromatic, medicinal, and culinary plants under organic production, of which he has emphasized that it is a "reference" of the sector.
This is a family project with more than sixty years of history that, in addition to preserving the tradition of artisanal distilleries of aromatic plants in the area, has managed to ensure generational change, renew its infrastructure, and adjust crops and products to the new demands of the market, as detailed by the Board in a press release.
"That is to say, it has known how to combine tradition, innovation, generational change, and sustainability, integrating the entire value chain from cultivation and harvesting to transformation and marketing of its products," the counselor emphasized.
The farm has plots dedicated to lavender, lavandin, spikenard, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and basil, in addition to peppers for paprika, cereals, pistachios, olive groves, and vineyards. It also has large areas of certified organic mountain, where it carries out the wild harvesting of aromatic plants.
The company stands out for this productive diversification, which translates into an intense activity that ranges from obtaining essential oils and aromatic waters through the distillation of aromatic plants, to a dryer for aromatic, medicinal, and culinary plants, which is also used for the treatment of peppers intended for the production of paprika or the transformation of olive leaves for food and pharmaceutical purposes.
From this work arises "a great variety of products" such as essential and vegetable oils, aromatic waters, alcohols, spices, infusions, organic paprika, artisan natural soaps, and other traditional preparations, which are marketed both in the national market and in various countries in Europe, the United States, and Japan.
At the same time, the company has launched an industrial and nature tourism line linked to the agricultural and cultural heritage of the region, through the organization of guided tours aimed at travel agencies, associations, municipalities, educational centers, and other groups.
Peñarrubia del Alto Guadiana is part of the Route of Don Quixote, incorporating a literary and cultural component to the experience that adds to the agrarian, natural, and ethnobotanical heritage of the surroundings of the Lagunas de Ruidera.
The project is led by Francisca Muñoz, promoter of the continuity of the family activity and responsible for its modernization and diversification.
The initiative "Ecological Essence of La Mancha" received one of the National Excellence Awards for Innovation for Rural Women, as an example of sustainable use of natural resources, job creation, innovation, and economic development in the rural environment.
The regional Government has supported the company through aid for organic agriculture, agro-environmental measures, and support for marketing projects through short channels, contributing to strengthening its competitiveness and its possibilities for expansion.
"Peñarrubia del Alto Guadiana is a benchmark in the cultivation and transformation of aromatic plants, as well as being a successful example of organic agriculture and agro-food transformation linked to the territory. All together contributes to stabilizing the population, generating employment, and creating added value in the rural environment, aligning with the objectives of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha," concluded Julián Martínez Lizán.
Meeting with Ecovalia about the future CAP
After the visit, the counselor held a meeting with the president of Ecovalia, Álvaro Barrera, who conveyed the organization's demands regarding Spanish organic production and the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
In this meeting, the requests focused on ensuring that the next CAP includes specific and sufficient funding for organic production, with a clearly identified allocation within the Multiannual Financial Framework; the implementation of a National Plan for Organic Production; the differential recognition of this model throughout the entire agro-food value chain, as well as the simplification of the administrative burden.
Ecovalia, Spanish professional association of reference in organic production, with 35 years of experience promoting a sustainable, healthy, and environmentally friendly agri-food system, argues that the future CAP should consider organic production as a strategic priority for Europe, due to its contribution to the profitability of farms, food sovereignty, adaptation to climate change, conservation of biodiversity, and development of rural areas.