Not looking at the rural world “because it doesn’t give you votes” is condemning the country
Agriculture is one of the fundamental pillars for occupation and territorial cohesion, gaining even more relevance in interior areas that have been losing population over the years. Fewer people means less electorate, but if politicians fail to look not only at agriculture, but at the rural world, “because it doesn’t give them votes†they are condemning the country in the medium term, said Pedro Mota Soares.
If they do not think about structural reforms that enable Portugal to be more productive, sustainable and cohesive, they are doing “frankly their role poorly†, which also has an important explanatory component, particularly with regard to to agricultural practice. The importance of the sector does not only lie within the national framework. This is a question of “food sovereignty†within the European Union and it is urgent to explain to citizens that public support for agriculture is not intended to privilege the sector over others, but rather “provide everyone with what is basic and essential†.
But to guarantee food production it is necessary to address challenges such as water scarcity, a “critical production factor†for agriculture, which also involves measuring the area water used on farms, which does not happen on 70% of them, pointed out Pedro Siza Vieira. More efficient irrigation practices and less losses in the network are clear objectives, but for water consumption to be more efficient, there is a lot of training and technological training work to be done. carried out with farmers.
In this sense, the notion of “interdependence†is essential, considering the role of these professionals in the territories that produce the water that cities use, explained Carlos Costa Neves. Agriculture continues to be a sector with “less public and political attention than others†, but measures that directly affect it cannot be taken without considering the impacts they will have on other areas of the country.
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