The mayor of the city, José María Bellidohas been shown tonight enthusiastic with the project municipal of convert to Cordova in the City of Agri-Food Innovationa commitment by the current government team that contemplates a work horizon for the next ten years.
Bellido has highlighted the weight that the world of research and innovation has in agri-food matters in the City’s Strategic Plan, the Córdoba Agenda, which has had the collaboration of experts in the field. The mayor believes that the study of current reality forces «talk a lot about innovation, sustainability, talk and make policies that have to do with profitability» and address lines of action that have to do with these new models of conceiving agri-food activity, such as engine of economic development.
Bellido has valued the strategic nature of the sector and “its always vocation of service to the city, to the province and, ultimately, to society”, because, in the mayor’s opinion, when difficult times have come, “in Córdoba, thanks to the agri-food sector, we have known how to overcome those crises.” In recent years, it has been spectacularBellido pointed out, the commitment to the digitalization of the activity to change the productive structures to become a powerful industry with a great future. Regarding this, he has indicated that in Córdoba there are «great examples“, who are at the forefront of innovation, “not only in Spain but throughout the world.” To all this, Córdoba has contributed “a grain of sand with the help of the University and the Board with that innovation hub called Agrotech.”
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In the opinion of the Córdoba councilorthe most important debate is that of sustainability and profitability. Sustainability in all aspects, he points out, environmental, social (due to its fight against depopulation) and finally, economic sustainability, “which is fundamental.” But José María Bellido has recognized that currently we must face other challenges of crucial importance, such as waterthe greenhouse gas absorption (CO2), but above all, he emphasized the problem of water, which he said is an issue that “we all have to address” and that involves public investment policies. “One has to invest a lot in infrastructure and equipment that allow us to overcome situations like those we see today in the north of the province” and has defended the use of regenerated waters.
For his part, the president of the Provincial Council, Salvador Fuenteshas pointed out that the Agri-Food Yearbook of Diario CÓRDOBA is “a tool that has been demonstrating every year the value it has for the society of Córdoba in terms of the effort that the agri-food world is making, when it comes to adapting to the times, stabilizing the population in rural areas and creating stable employment.” In Fuentes’ opinion, the data provided by the yearbook are “important for society, because it reflects how the sector is and helps take note of what can be done in the future.”
For his part, the director of Diario Córdoba, Rafael RomeroIt has been shown excited with which the Agri-Food Yearbook serves to see the reality of a sector that is fundamental and to offer an overview that allows a correct understanding of the future challenges of the activity. Romero has indicated that in addition to water, the countryside has other challenges, such as the increase in global demand for food, the climate crisis or aid “that depends on policies very far from the land.” To all this, other challenges can be added such as generational change, depopulation or the loss of agrodiversity.