The Ibiza Island Council says it will begin checking compliance with the requirement for tourist businesses to use Balearic produce in 2027 and is developing a tool to help businesses meet their obligations.
“We’ve thrown away so much produce this summer.” The stark warning from Marina Cardona, president of the Association of Organic Agriculture Producers of Ibiza and Formentera (Apaeef), highlights a problem facing farmers on the island: while some crops are being discarded because there are not enough buyers, a tourism law already requires certain businesses to source a minimum proportion of products from the Balearic Islands.
According to Cardona, the legislation is not being properly enforced, and she is calling on the authorities to ensure that businesses comply.
However, Agroeivissa reports a different experience, saying sales of its members’ produce to the hotel sector have continued to grow gradually year after year. The cooperative believes it could sell even more if it had a greater volume of produce available, a situation that contrasts with the difficulties Cardona describes in finding buyers for local harvests.
Cardona says the problem returns every tourist season. “We farmers have thrown away a huge amount of produce this summer, and it’s the same every year,” she says.
Although the season has been favourable for the sector in some respects, she insists that significant quantities of agricultural produce are still going to waste because many businesses are not committing to buying locally sourced food.
The problem, she explains, is that some businesses continue to treat buying local produce as a voluntary choice, even though the law imposes a requirement on those within its scope.
Cardona says some establishments purchase local food because they have “a sensitivity towards local produce”, while others do not treat it as an obligation they must fulfil.
“We insist that the law must be complied with,” she stresses, adding that the association will continue campaigning for the rules to be enforced.
A legal requirement in force since 2023
The requirement Cardona refers to is set out in Article 102 bis of the Balearic Islands Tourism Act, introduced through Law 3/2022 on urgent measures for tourism sustainability and circularity. It has applied since 1 July 2023.
Under the legislation, tourism businesses and establishments covered by the rules must ensure that at least 3% of their consumption consists of fresh agricultural, livestock and fishery products originating in the Balearic Islands.
The minimum rises to 4% for four- and five-star hotels and 5% for agrotourism establishments.
The measure is intended to strengthen the presence of Balearic produce within the tourism economy. However, Apaeef believes the legal requirement has not translated into sufficient sales opportunities for Ibiza’s farmers.
Cardona emphasises that agricultural waste is not an isolated problem affecting this summer alone, but a situation that has recurred year after year.
The association has not yet provided a precise estimate of the volume of produce discarded or identified individual establishments that have failed to meet the required percentages.
Agroeivissa: “We could sell more if we were able to produce more”
In contrast to the difficulties highlighted by Cardona, Agroeivissa offers a more positive assessment of sales to the hotel sector. The cooperative says its figures show moderate but consistent annual growth in the amount of local produce sold to hotels.
“Our figures show a small but steady upward trend in sales to the hotel sector every year,” the organisation says, highlighting the role it plays in helping its members distribute their fruit and vegetable harvests.
According to the cooperative, its sales and distribution network enables producers to find buyers for their crops.
“Our members’ products are relatively easy to sell because local produce has added value,” it says.
Agroeivissa believes it could increase sales to hotels further if its members had the capacity to produce more.
“We have no complaints. We could sell more to this sector if we were able to produce more,” representatives of the cooperative explain.
The organisation also points out that the legal requirement to use Balearic products is not limited to fruit and vegetables. Eligible products can also include wine, honey, nuts, flour, jams, eggs, fish and meat, provided they meet the origin requirements established by the legislation.
Agroeivissa does not comment on whether tourism businesses are complying with the law. Its statements focus on the sales experience of its own members.
Its figures therefore reflect the cooperative’s commercial performance, while Apaeef’s complaint concerns the difficulties other producers face in finding buyers for their harvests.
Who is responsible for enforcing the law?
While Agroeivissa highlights the potential for further growth in hotel sales, Apaeef insists that the legislation must be enforced if local farmers are to find reliable markets for their produce.
Cardona says the association will continue pressing for the requirement to buy Balearic products to translate into greater opportunities for the island’s producers.
“We will keep fighting,” she concludes.
The Ibiza Island Council has confirmed that it will include checks on mandatory Balearic produce consumption in its tourism inspection programme from 2027.
The council has spent several weeks developing a tool designed to help businesses calculate and demonstrate that they meet the legally required percentages.
On Friday, it sent a letter to tourism industry associations informing them of the initiative. The tool could be made available on the council’s website the following Monday or Tuesday, according to the institution.
The council explains that its inspections had previously focused on tackling illegal tourist accommodation. It now considers that this problem is under control and intends to broaden its inspection work to cover other areas, including links between the primary sector and tourism.
The institution also points to initiatives designed to promote local produce, including Ibiza Sabors, developed with Pimeef, and Eating in Ibiza, an initiative by Fomento del Turismo.
However, the council has not provided figures for inspections or penalties relating to non-compliance with the mandatory purchasing percentages, despite the legislation having been in force since July 2023.