Xàbia Council Unanimously Backs the Primary Sector

At its most recent meeting, the full council of Xàbia Council approved an institutional declaration in support of the primary sector, backed unanimously by all political groups represented on the council.

Through this declaration, the municipal authority underlines the essential role played by agriculture, livestock farming and fishing in the local economy, as well as their social, cultural and environmental importance. The primary sector is seen as key to maintaining employment, sustaining population levels, caring for the landscape and ensuring access to high-quality, safe and locally sourced food.

The approved text acknowledges the structural challenges faced by professionals in the sector, including rising production costs, excessive bureaucracy, the lack of generational renewal, pressure on profit margins and unfair competition. It also highlights the additional challenges posed by the transition towards more sustainable production models in the context of the climate crisis. In this regard, the local council stresses that sustainability must go hand in hand with economic viability, in order to guarantee a decent living for those who work the land and the sea.

Among the commitments assumed by Xàbia Council is the continuation of local measures to promote locally produced food. These include campaigns encouraging the consumption of local and seasonal products, coordinated actions with the Municipal Market, local shops and the hospitality sector, as well as the promotion of responsible public procurement initiatives within the municipal sphere.

The council also calls on the Valencian regional government and the Government of Spain to strengthen support policies for the primary sector, particularly in areas such as generational renewal, training, modernisation, innovation and energy and water efficiency. It further urges progress towards administrative simplification and a reduction in bureaucratic burdens.

In addition, the declaration appeals to European, national and regional institutions to guarantee fair market conditions by reinforcing transparency along the food supply chain, ensuring reciprocity of standards in international trade and introducing agile safeguard mechanisms to address potential market distortions.

Finally, the local council expresses its support for representative organisations within the sector, including cooperatives, fishermen’s guilds and professional associations, and agrees to forward this declaration to the Valencian regional government, the Government of Spain and the political groups represented in the Valencian Parliament, the Spanish Congress of Deputies and the European Parliament.