Analysis of the spatial relationship between small olive farms to increase their competitiveness through cooperation |
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| Institution: | 1. Área de la Cadena Agroalimentaria, Grupo Agroecosost, IFAPA, Camino de Purchil s/n, Granada, Spain;2. Área de la Cadena Agroalimentaria, IFAPA, Carretera Bailén-Motril, Mengibar, Jaén, Spain;1. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 210 Nagle Hall, College Station, TX, 77843, USA;2. LiDAR Applications for the Study of Ecosystems with Remote Sensing (LASERS) Laboratory, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University,1500 Research Parkway Building B, Suite 217, College Station, TX, 77843, USA;3. Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University,Horticulture/Forest Science Building, 495 Horticulture St, College Station, TX, 77843, USA;4. Departamento de Geografía, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Naranjo, Costa Rica;5. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 210 Nagle Hall, College Station, TX, 77843, USA;1. Department of Sociology, Colorado State University, Clark B-233, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;2. Department of Sociology, Colorado State University, Clark B-240, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;1. Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Department OTB, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5043, 2600 GA, Delft, The Netherlands;2. Faculty of Law, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;3. Property lawyer at the Port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | Small olive farms typically find it hard to compete with their larger competitors due to unfavourable conditions in terms of labour costs, land fragmentation and structural capital. These conditions result in higher production costs that reduce their competitiveness, leading to progressive exclusion from domestic and international markets and the abandonment of farming. In this scenario, cooperation between farmers to increase farm size and reduce land fragmentation may be an innovative strategy to improve the competitiveness of small agricultural holdings and avoid farm abandonment. The aim of this paper is to characterize the spatial structure of the traditional olive grove in the province of Jaén (South of Spain), the world’s leading olive oil producer, to identify the areas where farmer cooperation can be effectively implemented. The results of this study confirm that there are large numbers of small, barely viable olive groves and show different ways to promote cooperation between farmers according to the structural characteristics of their farms and their spatial relationships. In particular, when small olive farms have large neighbours, assisted cooperation systems should be implemented, while when small olive farms are concentrated in areas without larger farms, shared cultivation systems would be more efficient. This paper also provides information for the design of public policies aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of small agricultural holdings. |
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| Keywords: | Olive groves Small agricultural holdings Cooperation Assisted cultivation Share cultivation |
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