Peri-urban agriculture in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) is in a critical situation after decades of decline. A new study conducted by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) highlights the dramatic reduction of peri-urban farming in the region, with losses of up to 70% of agricultural land, largely driven by urban expansion, real estate speculation, and the low profitability of the agricultural sector. Currently, only 8.5% of the metropolitan region is devoted to agriculture, equivalent to around 16 square meters per inhabitant.
The research, which combines spatial land-use analysis between 2003 and 2015 with interviews and participatory workshops, indicates that this decline cannot be attributed to a single cause but rather to the interaction of social, ecological, and technological factors. The greatest loss of farmland occurred in the years leading up to the 2008 crisis, coinciding with the real estate boom, while in the past decade the pace of transformation has stabilized, though not reversed.
The study identifies urban development pressure as one of the main drivers of this process. The increase in land value in peri-urban areas has encouraged its conversion into residential, industrial, or infrastructure uses, often at the expense of fertile agricultural land. This is compounded by the low profitability of farming, shaped by competition from international markets, fragmented landholdings, and difficulties in accessing land and water, as well as protection regimes for other ecosystems such as forests. This situation has also contributed to the lack of generational renewal, a key factor in the continuity of farming operations.
Beyond food production, researchers warn that the loss of peri-urban agriculture has direct implications for urban resilience. As researcher Johannes Langemeyer notes: “Historically, the separation of agricultural production from the urban environment is a relatively new and exceptional phenomenon. In times of crisis, for example economic crises or wars, this separation increases food risk in cities.” The proximity of these agricultural areas helps reduce dependence on global supply chains, lowers emissions associated with food transport, and contributes to climate regulation, biodiversity, and landscape quality. However, these benefits remain undervalued in territorial planning.
The analysis also highlights growing tensions between agricultural activity and environmental conservation policies. In the peri-urban upland areas of the AMB, such as the Serra de Collserola, located between Barcelona and the Vallès county; the Serralada Marina, in the northern part of the metropolitan area between the Barcelonès and Maresme counties; or the Serra de l'Ordal, in the southwestern AMB region of Baix Llobregat, agricultural abandonment has encouraged forest expansion, transforming the landscape and making the recovery of agricultural uses more difficult. In the flat areas, especially in the Llobregat delta, urbanization and certain environmental protection measures create conflicts with the agricultural sector, exacerbated by issues such as the proliferation of wildlife or restrictions on land use.
At the same time, technological factors such as the loss of irrigation infrastructure, limited access to water, and the fragmentation of land by transport infrastructure hinder the viability of professional agriculture. These conditions have also encouraged the emergence of informal forms of agriculture, generating new tensions in peri-urban land use.
Despite this scenario, the study points out that there are still opportunities to halt and even reverse the trend. Researchers stress the need to recognize peri-urban agriculture as a strategic element for the future of cities and advocate for its real integration into urban planning policies. Initiatives such as the Parc Agrari del Baix Llobregat demonstrate that active protection of agricultural land can help sustain farming activity in highly pressured metropolitan environments.
In this context, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area stands at a crucial juncture. Halting the loss of agricultural land and restoring its productive, environmental, and social functions has become an urgent priority for advancing toward a more sustainable, resilient, and balanced urban model.