Identifying land of high agricultural value

The paper outlines the process followed in drawing up a methodology to allow land of high agricultural value to be identified in the areas of Anoia, el Bages and Osona.

These three areas are included within the sphere of central areas in the Programme for the Territorial Planning of Catalonia, whose implementation is the responsibility of the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia (DPTOP), which has arranged for the drawing up of a Partial Territorial Plan (PTP) covering the areas in this region.

Correct drawing up of this PTP involves identification, definition and delimitation of agricultural land of special interest, whose characteristics in terms of area, location and fertility mean that it should be protected from town planning schemes in the territory. A lack of specific basic studies made it necessary to adopt a specially developed methodology based on the various sources of information available and five selection criteria related with three functional values: productive, ecological and cultural.

The DPTOP can thereby avail itself of a basic study useful for territorial planning of the three areas, as a step prior to the drawing up of the Partial Territorial Plan for the central areas.

The methodology designed for definition of the regions of high agricultural value has to permit:
• Analysis of the physical medium, the various agricultural soils and types of crops in the three areas and identification of their main features.
• Designation and determination of the functional areas and values calling for a certain type of protection.
• Identification and evaluation of the various regions of high agricultural value chosen in accordance with their selection criteria and crop types.