The Ibiza Island Council (Consell d’Eivissa) has welcomed the draft of a new Agricultural Law promoted by the Balearic Islands Government, arguing that it will make life easier for farmers and livestock breeders, reduce administrative barriers and create new economic opportunities for the island’s primary sector.
The island council’s Vice-President, Mariano Juan, defended the proposed reform on Wednesday during his appearance before the General Committee of Island Councils.
Juan said the new legislation «follows the same direction as the measures we have introduced in Ibiza over recent years: less bureaucracy, more opportunities for our farmers and a commitment to keeping our countryside alive».
Among the main changes proposed in the legislation, the Vice-President highlighted measures to make it easier to process and sell locally produced goods, bring abandoned farmland back into use and develop complementary business activities that can help improve the financial viability of agricultural holdings.
He also welcomed the new opportunities for agricultural service businesses specialising in machinery, land maintenance, pruning and harvesting, which would be able to make use of certain existing agricultural buildings.
«Protecting the countryside is not just about preserving rural land; it also means making it possible for the people who work it to earn a living. This is the approach we have defended in Ibiza, and it is now reflected in the new Agricultural Law», he said.
Agricultural Sector Growth in Ibiza
The Vice-President linked the objectives of the proposed legislation to measures already introduced by the island council, including the 2022 Administrative Simplification Regulation and the amendment to Ibiza’s Island Territorial Plan, which received final approval in 2025.
In this context, he pointed to the positive development of the island’s primary sector.
Between 2019 and 2025, the number of registered agricultural holdings in Ibiza increased from 1,527 to 1,773, representing growth of 16%. Livestock holdings also rose significantly, from 734 to 968, an increase of 32% over the same period.
Meanwhile, the area of land dedicated to organic farming has almost doubled in just five years, rising from 792 hectares in 2020 to 1,590 hectares in 2025.
«The challenges facing the countryside are still there, but these figures show that farmers and livestock breeders continue to believe in and invest in our land», Juan said.
The Challenge of Bringing Younger Generations into Farming
The Vice-President also highlighted the 102 applications from young people entering the agricultural sector processed through funding calls held in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
However, he warned that the challenge is not simply to make it easier for younger generations to enter the sector, but also to ensure their projects are economically viable so they can build sustainable livelihoods and remain in farming.
Juan acknowledged that Ibiza’s agricultural and livestock sectors continue to face a number of structural challenges, including the disadvantages associated with island life, the fragmentation of agricultural holdings and competition for both land and labour.
Finally, he thanked the Balearic government and its Regional Minister for Agriculture, Joan Simonet, for driving the reform forward.
«The best way to protect our agricultural landscape is to ensure that there are still farmers and livestock breeders working the land. This law can help make farming an economic activity with a future», he concluded.