LIVING

This idyllic landscape was so greatly affected by urban sprawl and industrial expansion in the second half of the last century, however, that the area’s ancient farming tradition was threatened with extinction. In response, the Parc Agrari de Baix Llobregat (the Lower Llobregat Agricultural Park) was created, in 1998, as a large-scale agro-environmental project with a clear mandate to protect the agricultural tradition as a cultural treasure. Now, more than a decade after its establishment, Parc Agrari is regarded globally as an impressive example of sustainable ‘periurban’ farming.

“We continue to have visitors from all continents,” Sonia Callau, the head of the Unitat d’Espais Agraris (Agrarian Spaces Unit) at the park told Metropolitan. “Experts from Japan, China and many other countries come to learn from our experience and apply it in their own projects.”

In a ground-breaking collaboration between government, experts and farmers, a large consortium was created to manage the park, with representatives from farmers’ groups, ajuntaments and the Generalitat. The protection of the farmlands from urban and industrial pressures were, by necessity, the park’s chief concerns. But in the face of an increasingly globalised produce market and financial uncertainty, a central mission has developed of providing farmers with tools and strategies to remain competitive.

Researchers and land experts have been working to introduce eco-friendly farming techniques using less spraying and minimal amounts of pesticides, as well as modernising existing irrigation channels and helping farmers sell what they grow. As a result, instead of losing the farmlands to an ever-growing city, the Baix Llobregat park area today encompasses nearly 3,000 hectares of cultivated land and continues year-round to put fresh lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, and a profusion of fruits on Barcelona’s tables.

The king of the Llobregat valley is the artichoke. About 25 percent of the park’s farmed lands are covered by this crop. In a joint research effort with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, the Agrarian Park is working to improve the quality of the artichokes. “It’s my favorite crop to grow,” said Joan Ribas, a 55-year-old farmer. “It has such a long cycle, it can be harvested from December until May.”