Moroccan milk on Spanish shelves? Anger rises among farmers

A pillar of Spanish agriculture is wavering. Galicia, the historic region of dairy production, sees its model collapsing: the number of farms has been halved. Small and medium-sized family structures, strangled by rising costs and fierce competition, are closing down, unable to keep up the pace. As a result, local supply is no longer enough to meet domestic demand, explains La Razon.

Faced with this deficit, the authorities and economic players are eyeing Morocco as a fallback solution. But this import strategy is not well received by industry professionals. Spanish breeders cry out for abandonment, believing that the state should save what remains of the national agricultural fabric rather than turning to non-EU suppliers.

The heart of the conflict lies in the differential in standards. Spanish producers warn about the lack of equivalence between the two shores of the Mediterranean. They point to production conditions, health, environmental and social standards in Morocco that they consider less stringent than the draconian European standards to which they are subject. For them, this increased dependence on foreign countries not only threatens their economic survival, but also jeopardizes Spain’s long-term food sovereignty.