Agrarian Association of Young Farmers

The Agrarian Association of Young Farmers (Asociación Agraria de Jóvenes Agricultores, ASAJA) is Spain's largest professional agricultural organization (Organización Profesional Agraria, OPA), commonly described as an agricultural union. Founded on 14 July 1989 through the merger of the Confederación Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos (CNAG), the Centro Nacional de Jóvenes Agricultores (JJ.AA.) and the Unión de Federaciones Agrarias de España (UFADE), ASAJA has grown into the most influential voice of Spanish agriculture. It represents more than 250,000 members and claims to speak for over 60% of Spanish agricultural production. In the last elections to the Cámaras Agrarias it obtained 58% of the vote, ahead of COAG (29%) and UPA (9%). ASAJA is a national organization that integrates all branches of agricultural activity: crop farming, livestock, forestry, environmental management and complementary rural activities such as agrotourism. It is structured through sectoral and horizontal departments and works with other sectoral organizations including CNRCA, ANCCE, OPP, FNCT, AMFAR, UNAPROLIVA, Anprogapor and ASEPRHU. Its member organizations include the Associació Valenciana d'Agricultors (AVA), Euskal Nekazarien Batasuna (ENBA), Unión de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Navarra (UAGN), Asociación Riojana de Agricultores y Ganaderos (ARAG), Asociación Agraria de Galicia (ASAGA), Asociación Provincial de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Extremadura (APAG), Asociación Provincial de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Guadalajara (APAG) and Asociación de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Canarias (ASAGA). Ideologically, ASAJA is associated with large landowners and with the centre-right or right of Spanish politics, and it is integrated into the Spanish employers' confederation CEOE. Its stated objective is to defend both family farms and agricultural enterprises under any form of private initiative, unlike other OPAs such as UPA, Unión de Uniones or COAG, which represent only self-employed agricultural professionals or small and medium-sized family farms. ASAJA seeks the development of the primary sector as a viable economic activity, improved access for young people to farming, training and professional qualification, and the competitiveness of Spanish agriculture at national and international level. Pedro Barato has been the national president since 1990 and was re-elected in 2018 for another four years. During the agricultural protests in Spain, ASAJA organized numerous mobilizations and demonstrations across various provinces, helping to spread them throughout the country. The organization is active in policy debates on the food chain law, generational renewal, phytosanitary tools, input costs (fuels and fertilizers), forest fires and food waste reduction, often in collaboration with European projects and bodies such as COPA-COGECA.

ASAJA was founded on 14 July 1989 through the merger of three organizations: the Confederación Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos (CNAG), the Centro Nacional de Jóvenes Agricultores (JJ.AA.) and the Unión de Federaciones Agrarias de España (UFADE). Most of the provincial organizations, especially those of JJ.AA. and UFADE, had been created by the Unión de Centro Democrático (UCD) along the lines of French agricultural unions. Alianza Popular (AP) operated within the CNAG. Pedro Barato has been the national president since 1990 and was re-elected in 2018 for another four years. Under his leadership, ASAJA became the largest professional agricultural organization in Spain, representing more than 250,000 members and over 60% of agricultural production. In the last elections to the Cámaras Agrarias, ASAJA obtained 58% of the vote, compared with 29% for COAG and 9% for UPA. Although these elections have not been held for decades and the Cámaras Agrarias have disappeared or are in the process of disappearing, regional electoral processes in Catalonia, Castilla y León, the Community of Madrid and Extremadura give ASAJA the highest percentage (34.75%), followed closely by Unión de Uniones (32.55%), with UPA at 15.74% and COAG at 16.97%. ASAJA is integrated into the Spanish employers' confederation CEOE and is associated with large landowners and with the centre-right or right of Spanish politics. Its objective is to defend both family farms and agricultural enterprises under any form of private initiative, unlike other OPAs such as UPA, Unión de Uniones or COAG, which only represent self-employed agricultural professionals or small and medium-sized family farms. It seeks the development of the primary sector as a viable economic activity, improved access for young people to farming, training and professional qualification, and the competitiveness of Spanish agriculture at national and international level. As a national organization, ASAJA integrates all branches of agricultural activity in their agricultural, livestock, forestry, environmental management and even new complementary rural activities such as agrotourism. It is organized internally through sectoral and horizontal departments and through collaboration with other sectoral organizations such as CNRCA, ANCCE, OPP, FNCT, AMFAR, UNAPROLIVA, Anprogapor and ASEPRHU. Among its member organizations are the Associació Valenciana d'Agricultors (AVA), with around 20,000 members; Euskal Nekazarien Batasuna (ENBA), created in 1991 and the main agrarian organization of professional baserritarras in the Basque Country, especially in Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa; Unión de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Navarra (UAGN), born in 1977; Asociación Riojana de Agricultores y Ganaderos (ARAG), the main agrarian organization of La Rioja, with strong implantation in the wine sector where it holds 57% of the votes in the Regulatory Council of DOCa Rioja, born in 1981 after protests by potato, sugar beet and wine farmers in the Nájera region and linked since 1982 to the Centro Nacional de Jóvenes Agricultores; Asociación Agraria de Galicia (ASAGA), created in 2015 and the second organization in representation of farmers in the Regulatory Councils of Galicia; Asociación Provincial de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Extremadura (APAG), the largest OPE in the province of Badajoz, representing 5,000 Extremaduran members; Asociación Provincial de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Guadalajara (APAG), born in 1977, which includes the Agrupación de Ganaderos de la Sierra Norte, the Cooperativa hortícola de Guadalajara specialized in green asparagus and the Asociación Provincial de Apicultores, with strong implantation in the Alcarria; and Asociación de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Canarias (ASAGA). During the agricultural protests in Spain, ASAJA organized various mobilizations and demonstrations across different provinces, helping to spread them throughout the country. The organization remains active in national and European policy debates, as reflected in its recent campaigns and events on the Food Chain Law, generational renewal, cotton cultivation, forest fires, food waste reduction and input costs.

• 2018

  Pedro Barato re-elected as national president for another four years.

• 2015

  Asociación Agraria de Galicia (ASAGA) created, later a member organization.

• 1991

  Euskal Nekazarien Batasuna (ENBA) created, later a member organization.

• 1990

  Pedro Barato becomes national president.

• 1989

  ASAJA founded on 14 July through the merger of CNAG, JJ.AA. and UFADE.

Spain's largest and most influential professional agricultural organization, associated with large landowners and centre-right politics, integrated into CEOE.

Product categories. Agricultural representation and lobbying · Member services for farmers and livestock breeders · Training and professional qualification · Sectoral events and networking

1. 1Asociación Agraria Jóvenes Agricultores - Asajaasaja.com
2. 2ASAJA Castilla-La Mancha mantiene una reunión de alto nivel sobre incendios - Asajaasaja.com
3. 3Jornada de networking sobre desperdicio alimentario y cadenas de valor circulares - Asajaasaja.com
4. 4Rueda de prensa de ASAJA Huesca sobre el impacto de los carburantes y fertilizantes en el campo - Asajaasaja.com
5. 5Agrarian Association of Young Farmerswikidata.org
6. 6Asociación Agraria de Jóvenes Agricultoreses.wikipedia.org