Renewable energies are taking a position on the territory, which is changing the perception of 56% of Spaniards are against the installation of solar power plants on agricultural land.
This is one of the major conclusions drawn from the study carried out by GAD3 and which accredits a change of heart in Spanish public opinion regarding solar power plantswhich is mainly committed to an energy transition model that respects landscapes, territories and rural communities.
The survey, presented during an event organized by the Association of Agri-Food Journalists (APAE), in collaboration with SOS Rural, analyzes the perception of the Spanish population regarding photovoltaic installationsas well as its future impact on the ground and possible solutions.
Lack of knowledge of the population
Regarding the perception that Spaniards have of photovoltaic installations, despite the fact that more than 75% say they know of its existencethe survey highlights the great lack of basic knowledge that exists about them.
So much so that half of the Spanish population The possibility of installing solar power plants on agricultural land is unknowndespite the fact that 56% are opposed to this use of agricultural land.
Moreover, practically a third do not know the average size of solar power plantsand 70% of the population believes that photovoltaic companies are themselves responsible for managing the tons of industrial waste they generate. On the other hand, only 6% know that This responsibility falls on landowners, i.e. small landowners..
Proliferation of macroplants
According to the results of the report, we have a better knowledge of negative consequences of the proliferation of solar macroplants on the territory.
In this sense, 7 out of 10 Spaniards consider that solar installations lead to a reduction in the area of land available for cultivation. Among other negative effects of these installations, their impact on depopulation and on the price of food is identified.
Furthermore, for the majority of the population, the installation of solar power plants on agricultural land would result in a negative effect on food availability.
Energy transition
For some Spaniards, large multinational companies are, in addition to the main owners of solar power plants, the big beneficiaries of their existence. Only a quarter of those surveyed believes that the beneficiary is the population as a wholeand only 19% that it is the environment.
In addition, the main reason given by Spaniards for the use of solar power plants in Spain is respect for the energy transition. Nevertheless, most also indicate that it is due to other factors like him greenwashingcertain economic incentives and lobby pressures.
Lourdes Zuriaga, president of the APAE and moderator of the event, declares that “There is some concern within parts of the agricultural sector regarding the proliferation of solar power plants. and its implementation on agricultural land. “We consider this a good opportunity to explore this subject further, based on a study on which we will have the opportunity to raise different questions.”
Balance in rural areas
María Martín, communications director of GAD3, highlights that “the results of the GAD3 analysis reveal that, although Spanish society recognizes the value of solar power plants as a key tool in the fight against climate change, their development must not compromise local sustainability, the landscape or the agri-food sector“.
According to the head of GAD3, “the study highlights a clear conclusion: the expansion of renewable energiesThis must go hand in hand with comprehensive planning which guarantees a balance equitable for rural areas, particularly for the primary sector, promoting beneficial development for all stakeholders involved.
Food sovereignty
For his part, Javier Poza Llorente, secretary general of SOS Rural, emphasizes that “the study only confirms what we defend at SOS Rural: the need for a regulatory framework that regulates photovoltaics and which protects agricultural land (especially the most fertile) in Spain.
For the general secretary of SOS Rural, “there is evil within society. Citizens want a more sustainable society, but not at any cost, and certainly They do not want to exchange energy sovereignty for food sovereignty. The two must be compatible. We cannot make the same mistakes as in the past and it is therefore necessary to think about the energy transition model we want. At SOS Rural, we will continue to work for this.
Concern about solar power plants
Among the groups that denounce the most impact negative photovoltaic installations are the people belonging to the primary agricultural sectorin line with another of the conclusions drawn by the study which reflects that “the Spaniards who live with photovoltaic installations in their daily life are those who most perceive their negative effects”.
According to survey data, those who claim to know and have seen a solar power plant consider the proliferation of these installations to a greater extent produces negative impacts on the agricultural sector and the landscapethan those who do not know them or have never seen them.
Specifically, among current and former workers in the primary agricultural sector, there is a broader perception that the use of solar power plants increases pollution emissions and depopulation in rural areas than among the rest of the professional groups.
Negative impacts
On the economic level, even if 7 out of 10 Spaniards consider that solar power plants are beneficial in terms of job creation and economic recovery, the majority believes that its use has rather negative effects in other areassuch as the landscape, fauna and flora or the agricultural sector.
81% of the Spanish population says not having seen an improvement in their family finances Due to the proliferation of solar power plants in the territory, a higher percentage among current and former workers in the primary sector – agricultural and non-agricultural.
Uncontrolled proliferation
SOS Rural recalls that it has been warning for some time about the fact that “the uncontrolled proliferation of macroplants on agricultural land represents a threat to rural areasas well as the natural environment, which is radically and irreversibly changed.
There are particularly striking cases, such as in the region of Murcia, where there are currently irrigated lands declared of national interest and which are “tiled with photovoltaic panelsdamaging precious soil and therefore harming all agricultural activity in the region”, they denounce from SOS Rural.
