New Association to Champion Agriculture and Fishing in the Canary Islands
Canarias has established a new collective aimed at strengthening and dignifying the role of farmers, livestock farmers, and fishermen in the Archipelago. Named the Canarian Agricultural Workers’ Association, this entity has been formed to defend the interests of the primary sector and raise public awareness of the need to move towards food sovereignty, reducing the high dependency on imports.
The organisation already includes members from La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, El Hierro, and La Gomera. It aims to become a unified voice during a critical time for the future of agro-food activities in the Islands.
Official Presentation
The official presentation took place in the lecture hall of the Taoro Liceo in La Orotava, where the main lines of work were outlined. The president of the initiative, José Antonio Gómez, acted as spokesperson and emphasised that the central goal is to “communicate and reach individuals and administrations so that change can occur”. He stressed that the continuity of the sector is at risk: “If the sector continues in this manner, it will have no future. The public must understand that we are a primary sector in society.”
We are a primary sector in society
Collective Strength
Regarding operational axes, Gómez highlighted the importance of gaining collective strength and attracting more members to increase impact in the marketing chain, enabling prices that allow for sustainable production. “Currently, the prices we have make it impossible to maintain activity. The stronger we are, the more we can become arbiters in marketing and make products more profitable,” he noted.
The association presents itself as “one more” within the social fabric of Canarias, but with a clear intent to become a driving force for raising awareness about the structural problems faced by the sector. These include high production costs, competition from imported products, a lack of generational renewal, and an insufficient legal framework to support agricultural, livestock, and fishing entrepreneurship.
Local Production
The president emphasised that what fills the supermarkets in the Archipelago are ships carrying external goods. “At any moment, those routes could close, leaving supermarkets empty. If we do not have sufficient local production to cover basic needs, a disaster could occur,” he warned.
Moreover, he pointed out that the main headquarters of the Canarian Agricultural Workers’ Association is located in La Palma, but they aim to have a presence on each of the Islands that are part of the entity. They encourage the Islands that are not yet involved to “join the fight“. The creation of the association responds to the concerns of a group of professionals from various subsectors and island territories who share the same worry, which is to ensure a dignified future for agriculture and fishing in Canarias.
We believe that together we can regain hope and live with dignity from the primary sector
The association’s secretary, Ricardo Carballo, shared a personal account that reflects the situation faced by many farmers. He explained that he represents the third and final generation of his family dedicated to agriculture, marking the end of a decades-long tradition.
Abandonment
“I have gradually lost hope, but we believe that together we can push forward. We want to see progress each day and be able to live with dignity from the primary sector,” he asserted. In conversations with colleagues, he finds that a sense of weariness is widespread. “Many are considering giving up, which is why uniting and making a final push is so important,” he noted.
During the event, Manuel Hernández, a professor of History at the University of La Laguna (ULL), also spoke, giving a brief lecture on the historical importance of the primary sector in Canarias and its role in shaping the economic identity of the Archipelago.
