The initiative is promoted by interprofessional organizations: Asici, Avianza, Intercun, Interovic, Interporc and Provacuno
The Plenary recognizes the relevance of the meat-livestock chain for the economy, society, culture, gastronomy of Cantimpalos, which generates the economic-demographic and social base of Cantimpalos and other municipalities of the province and has been present in the territory since the beginning of the XIX century
Cantimpalos, November 15, 2021. The Cantimpalos City Council (Segovia) has joined the Municipal Cattle-Meat Network, a platform with which the interprofessional organizations of the meat chain (Asici, Avianza, Intercun, Interovic, Interporc and Provacuno) want to thank the vital role they play municipalities to facilitate the development of this activity in rural areas.
The municipal plenary session has approved in its ordinary session in November an institutional declaration in support of the country’s meat-livestock chain, in which its majority presence in rural areas stands out as one of the pillars of the Spanish agri-food sector, the most of two million jobs that it generates nationwide and its economic contribution to agricultural and industrial production.
The mayor of Cantimpalos, Amador Álvarez de Frutos, has presented this motion in support of the livestock-meat sector, which has been unanimously approved in the Plenary, and which indicates that in Cantimpalos «Most of the jobs are generated through the activity of the livestock / meat / industrial sector of the municipality as well as of others in the province. Cantimpalos is known for its long cattle / commercial / industrial tradition in the sector nationwide, and as an example we can highlight the Chorizo Fair ».
Given the relationship that unites this sector with the economy, culture and society of Cantimpalos, and so that it continues to be a lever for future economic growth, the approved declaration establishes that «It is appropriate to give visibility to the relevance of the meat-livestock chain in the rural environment. And for all the above, the Plenary Assembly approves to recognize the relevance of the meat-livestock chain for the economy, society, culture, gastronomy of Cantimpalos, which generates the economic-demographic and social base of Cantimpalos and other municipalities of the province and it has been present in the territory since the beginning of the 19th century ». Therefore, the plenary session declares the meat-livestock sector as «One of the fundamental economic levers for the future of economic activity in rural areas and, specifically, in Cantimpalos. And it materializes this recognition through the adhesion of the Municipality to the Network of Municipalities for the meat-livestock chain, established with the purpose of giving visibility to the chain at the national level.
The Municipal Cattle-Meat Network to which Cantimpalos has just joined is an initiative that also aspires to become a platform for dialogue between the private and public sectors at the municipal level. The objective is to seek synergies to promote the conditions that have allowed the livestock-meat chain to become the main economic engine of many of the country’s municipalities and cities. The economic and social power of the chain has also allowed its activity to become one of the main backbones of Rural Spain. The main reason is the ability of livestock and meat companies to create quality jobs in the municipalities, which allows many residents to continue living in the same towns where they were born and depopulation is mitigated. With the permanence of the inhabitants, other problems related to population decline are also avoided, such as the loss of social services, leisure alternatives, etc.
The importance of the livestock-meat chain in the Spanish economy
The impact of the livestock-meat chain is also significant at the national level, where it contributes close to 44,000 million euros to the national GDP and generates 672,000 direct jobs. In addition, the activity mobilizes two million associated jobs that are framed in a varied selection of activities such as agricultural production aimed at feeding livestock and professionals in the veterinary, feed, animal health, logistics and transport and auxiliary industries.
Livestock activity takes place in more than 350,000 farms throughout the national geography that make a contribution of 16,000 million euros to Final Agricultural Production, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In addition, during 2020, the Spanish meat industry put on the markets a total of 7.6 million tons of meats and 1.4 million tons of processed products worth 27,957 million euros. With this production, Spain’s food sovereignty with regard to meats has been ensured and it has also allowed 3.2 million tons of meats and various processed products to be exported to markets around the world. These transactions have reached a value of 8,660 million euros, with a growth of 21% in foreign turnover and in volume with respect to the figures of the previous year. These figures have a special strategic relevance at a time when international trade is suffering a strong setback and where the livestock-meat chain has emerged as a guarantee to maintain the positive balance of the balance of payments.
How to join the Network
The municipalities that wish to be part of the Municipal Livestock-Meat Network must approve in the municipal plenary session an institutional declaration in favor of the meat-livestock chain and accompany this decision with a communicative action. All the necessary information about the process, the purposes of the Municipal Network and the contact form are available at the platform website.
The Municipal Network for the livestock-meat chain intends to be a reflection of the great diversity that exists in Spain. For this reason, it intends that in the medium term its members include localities from all geographical areas of the country and that they are governed by political forces of all kinds. The initiative also takes care of demographic representativeness with the participation of municipalities of all sizes, including those under 5,000 inhabitants, where the positive impact of the activity is even more notable.