Europe's orchard: The role of irrigation on the Spanish agricultural production
研究了20世纪下半叶灌溉对西班牙农业生产增长和区域差异的影响，利用详细的生产、灌溉面积和产量数据，揭示了灌溉如何塑造西班牙农业的专业化模式。
In the latter half of the twentieth century, Spanish agriculture witnessed sustained production growth, aligning with Western European levels after a period of lag in both production and productivity. This growth predominantly occurred in the warm, sunny provinces of southern and eastern Spain, which specialized in high-value crops such as fruits, vegetables, and olive oil. Various factors have been identified in the scientific literature as contributors to this transformation, including technological innovations, the internationalization of Spanish agriculture, domestic development, and advancements in irrigation. This paper aims to examine the impact of irrigation on Spanish agricultural production, focusing on the creation of regional and productive disparities since the mid-twentieth century. These diverse effects have been crucial in shaping the regional and product-specific specialization patterns that characterize the historical dynamism of Spanish agriculture. To that aim, we have compiled a comprehensive database containing detailed information on agricultural production values, irrigated and rainfed area and yields. The level of disaggregation of data, both in terms of production and regional breakdowns, enables us to identify specific regional and crop patterns. Additionally, this study highlights the significant and regionally varied transformations within the Spanish agricultural sector over the long term, which have had profound effects on rural areas.