The Official Association of Agricultural Engineers of the Center and the Canary Islands has presented allegations to the draft decree regulating tourist accommodation establishments in the Canary Islands.
Professionals in the agricultural sector express their concern about the ambiguity of some terms in the regulatory project, in particular, regarding the figure of “camping in isolated rural buildings”, included in article 3 of the text.
As it is written, the proposed definition is confusing and contradictory from an agricultural perspective. For this reason, the Association proposes a new wording that includes objective and specific criteria, such as the integration of buildings into the Canarian cultural heritage and their location on rustic land or within active and recognized agricultural exploitations. This approach seeks to harmonize tourism development with the conservation of the territory and traditional agricultural activity.
In addition, a modification of article 79 is requested, in order to specify the real link between tourist accommodation and the exploitation agricultural. It is proposed that the exploitations be registered in the official agricultural registers of the Canary Islands (REAC and REGAC) and that their owners be professional farmers or entities whose main purpose is the development of agricultural activity.
Protection of agricultural land: a strategic asset
Agricultural land, as a strategic and limited element, must be recognized and protected not only for its productive capacity and its role in food sovereignty, but also for the numerous ecosystem services it provides: fire prevention, flood control and creation of natural habitats, among others. In addition, it is key in adapting to climate change.
For all these reasons, the Association calls on public administrations to guarantee that any regulations on tourist uses on rustic land respect and reinforce the productive and environmental function of the Canarian agricultural territory.
The Official Association of Agricultural Engineers of the Center and the Canary Islands is a public law corporation made up of about 1,600 agricultural engineers who develop their professional activity in areas such as agriculture and livestock, food, the environment or the rural environment, among others.
In the field of agricultural exploitations, for example, agricultural engineers design, manage and optimize sustainable production systems, ensuring their technical, economic and environmental viability.
