New Phase in the Process of Maintenance of the Urban Agricultural Area of “L’horta De València”, Spain

Abstract

On 12 March 2018, the Valencian official bulletin published the Law of "L'Horta de València". In addition, on 20 December 2018, the same bulletin published approval of the Territorial Action Plan for Planning and Revitalizing "L'Horta de València". Both initiatives establish a framework for maintaining the periurban agricultural area of Valencia and allow actions to promote agricultural activities. In 2019, "L'Horta de València" was declared a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN). The municipality of Valencia became the world capital for sustainable food, to promote the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. Therefore, two years after protection, it is time to review if the new law and planning have produced positive changes in agricultural activities and landscape, and assess which are the current challenges now. Specifically, it's time to know the current situation, problems, limitations and opportunities. This article provides the results of a SWOT analysis about the current situation of agricultural activities and landscape of "L'Horta de València", carried out by semi-structured interviews with a panel of experts involved in elaboration of these documents or who are intervening in management of this space.

Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Peri-Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of L’Horta de València, Spain

“…Source: Miralles i Garcia [48] According to interviewees, in addition of food services, that is an ecosystem service produced by the agricultural landscape, and other ecosystem services that this place provides society with such as moderating the weather and the urban heat island phenomenon from the nearby city of Valè ncia, increasing rainfall in a Mediterranean area that is usually dry, and increasing biodiversity. These opinions come from those interviewed with a more environmentalist worldview.…”

“…Source: Miralles i Garcia [48] The idea of creating the Horta's Council was evaluated very positively because it is open to all sensibilities and has the budget and ability to promote initiatives of a common interest, but several people were very critical with its delay starting up and the results of activity.…”

“…Source: Miralles i Garcia [48] In addition, very importantly, there is a traditional attitude and culture amongst conventional farmers in favor of collaboration and self-organizing with ample experience in water management and conflict management through the Water Court [49] based on keeping one's word. The Water Court establishes sentences by word only, without writing anything, one that all farmers accept.…”

“…Among the latest publications, Romero and Francé s [20] coordinated a multidisciplinary study which analyzed the causes that explain the progressive disappearance of this historical space. L'Horta de València is a specific historical landscape that the Valencian population perceives as part of their identity that was the object of a "Popular Legislative Initiative" [21] in 2000 to protect it. Rodríguez Romero et al [22] studied the case of Madrid's peri-urban areas from this point of view.…”

“…The author carried out a study whose results were published synthetically as a paper at the 2 nd International Conference on Urban Agriculture and City Sustainability [48]. This article is an extension of that publication focused on the interpretation of the results.…”