The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has submitted for public consultation the drafting of a ministerial order project that will establish the regulatory bases for future subsidies aimed at promoting good agricultural practices, boosting Nature-Based Solutions, and favoring sustainable food production models throughout the national territory. From these bases, calls for aid can be articulated, such as those planned for dryland crops and organic production included in the Action Framework for Doñana.
According to the Ministry in a press release, the consultation will remain open until September 16, 2026, in order to gather proposals and observations from individuals, entities, and organizations interested before drafting the final ministerial order project. The subsidies, which will be specified in specific calls once the bases are approved, will be aimed at promoting more sustainable agricultural practices from a fair transition perspective, relying on scientific-technical knowledge and the evaluation of the results obtained.
Among the priority environmental challenges are the adaptation to climate change, the improvement of the ecological status of water bodies, and the restoration and conservation of ecosystems. The financed actions will be adjusted to the specific needs of the territories they are directed to, so that they take into account their environmental and socioeconomic particularities and contribute to alleviating the existing pressures on natural resources.
New aid for dryland and organic agriculture
The approval of these bases will allow the Ministry to activate a support call for dryland crops and organic agriculture in the area of influence of the natural space Doñana, endowed with 8.5 million. This line is integrated into measure 1.1, Diversification of agricultural production, of the Action Framework for Sustainable Territorial Development of the Area of Influence of the Natural Space of Doñana, and aims to promote productive models that reduce pressures on the environment and strengthen the viability of agricultural activity.
Action framework for Doñana
The Government of Spain promotes, through the Ministry, the Framework of Actions for Doñana, which addresses in a complementary manner the environmental recovery of the protected area and the sustainable development of its socioeconomic environment. The Environmental Action Framework mainly focuses on the recovery of water resources, ecological restoration, and the protection of biodiversity.
At the same time, the Framework of Actions for Sustainable Territorial Development expands this approach to the social and economic dimensions and includes measures aimed, among other areas, at the agri-food, livestock, and forestry sectors; industry; training and improvement of employability; support for local initiatives; and the improvement of the living conditions of seasonal workers.
Together, both frameworks contemplate a direct investment of 745.3 million until 2028 and involve the participation of 13 ministries. The Technical Office of Doñana is responsible for coordinating and promoting the execution of the actions from the territory itself.
In this context, the new support line for dryland crops and organic farming will be added to other measures already planned for the agricultural sector. Among them is the call for aid for renaturalization and ecological restoration in the agricultural and forestry area of influence of the natural space Doñana, which has already been published and continues its complex processing process.
Both initiatives reinforce the set of actions aimed at reducing pressures on ecosystems, promoting the recovery of the ecological functionality of Doñana, and supporting the agricultural sector in its adaptation towards a more sustainable production model.