Spanish agricultural policy and international leadership

Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas has been active in international and European agricultural policy. In August 2026, Planas increased Spain’s voluntary contributions to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to support projects involving agricultural biodiversity and the Blue Ports program, a move seen as strategic to his campaign for the FAO presidency.

By September 2026, Planas shifted focus toward European Union policy. During an informal meeting of the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers in Dublin, he called for a coordinated European response to combat persistent droughts and extreme weather. He emphasized the necessity of sufficient funding within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the 2028-2034 budget period to address climate-related crises and ensure food security.

Planas also advocated for agricultural competitiveness through innovation, highlighting Spain’s leadership in applying new genomic techniques (NGT) to develop plant varieties resistant to pests and climate change. Additionally, he urged the European Commission to incorporate fishing and aquaculture into its upcoming protein strategy to reduce external dependencies and strengthen the bloc’s autonomy. In response to these challenges, European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen encouraged member states to use existing CAP flexibilities to support producers facing yield losses.