Andorra la VellaWith a deep knowledge of the agricultural and livestock sector of Andorra, Guillem Casalminister of Environment, Agriculture and Sustainabilityaddresses key current issues in this interview to ensure the future of the country’s countryside and livestock.
Casal defends a model of growing support for local production, with specific aid to promote wine, honey and truffle crops, as well as to encourage the adoption of reusable menstrual products, with the aim of reducing waste and advancing sustainability.
In addition, it analyzes the country’s political situation. The possibility of a new right-wing party, and initiatives to regulate the cultivation of cannabis with a broad eye towards economic diversification and security.
With the new budget item, support for livestock farmers has increased in different aspects. What exactly will this increase in funds be used for, and what specific aid will the primary sector be able to benefit from?
Last year we already increased the budget by 16%, with half a million euros more for agriculture and livestock, paying special attention to the Raca Bruna d’Andorra and quality premiums for fattening in extensive livestock farming, increased between 30% and 50% for cattle, sheep and horses. We also strengthened support for organic and wine production. This year, we are adding another 10%, with almost 400,000 additional euros, intended to boost agriculture and improve support for heavy mares for their contribution to the maintenance of the environment. We will promote aid for wine crops and introduce new aid criteria for holdings with more cultivated surface. We will also establish new aid for truffle cultivation and honey production, due to its importance in biodiversity and the ecosystem. Finally, we will consolidate the elimination of import quotas for fodder products, a demand of more than ten years ago, which will ease the burdens on the sector.
The lack of generational relief is a problem that affects the agricultural sector everywhere. What is your perception on this issue? Does the ministry consider actions to encourage young people to choose the primary sector?
Andorra, due to its size, allows us to get to know the livestock sector in a global and personalized way. During this year and a half of the legislature, we have visited practically all farms to better understand the needs of 80-90% of them and guarantee generational relief. Our bet focuses on a modern sector, with an increase in budget items that allow us to ensure its continuity and strengthen its community value. Although we cannot be self-sufficient in meat production, we produce between 10 and 15% of what is consumed in the countrywith high quality products. The primary sector, in addition to protecting our mountainous territory, is key to the conservation of biodiversity. Through grants and the elimination of deductions, we seek to make life easier for livestock farmers and farmers, and thus encourage their growth. This quality product is the future of the sector. The job well done that we are doing here now, making this product known is what will allow the generational breakthrough. Then we will have to make small grants to make life easier for livestock farmers and farmers. Andorra needs a livestock sector that adapts to modern times, while maintaining its cultural roots and the sustainable country model we are pursuing.
A campaign on reusable menstrual products has been promoted. What message is the Government sending with this project and what benefits do you think it will bring both environmentally and socially?
The commons have taken similar actions and from the Government we have tried to go a little further and deal with this issue in a more transversal way than had been considered until now. This initiative has been spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Sustainability and these products will begin to be distributed on November 18. We see that there is a very important impact on the generation of waste. Last legislature we approved the circular economy waste management law, and the law foresees that waste must be reduced in Andorra and especially single-use products, and single-use products that contain plastic
This campaign fits perfectly within this strategy of the environment department. Disposable pads or tampons contain plastic, 90% of a pad is plastic, 6% of a tampon is plastic. A menstruating person who uses single-use products throughout their menstrual life uses 17,000 single-use products generating 180 kg of waste, this is 75 times more than a person who uses reusable products. We wanted to encourage the change of habits in young people between 12 and 35 years old and influence this more sustainable behavior, this has been with the collaboration of two other ministries (Secretariat of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Citizen Participation and Equality) and the National Youth Forum.
It is not lost on anyone that there is an element of equality in breaking taboos, in speaking more freely about menstruation from a health point of view. Also with the National Youth Forum to make a policy where the target audience is young people. We hope that this campaign will be very well received, that from the 18th we will be able to distribute the maximum number of products possible and we will do it through the Youth Points together with the communes and the primary care centers. Where information will be given about these products, products made by a company dedicated to providing employment to people from different groups. In the end they are products of sustainable material and in the case of the menstrual cup it does not have any products of animal origin, therefore it is vegan.
The new CBD Regulation Act has been on the agenda for some time. At what point is its processing, and what will be the basis of this future regulation?
We are looking at projects and growing cannabis is one, and there may be others. We continue to analyze with the association of farmers and ranchers of Andorra what their participation in this sector should be, also with the other competent ministries, and I also made a commitment to work with the rest of the parliamentary groups. It is another project that is being analyzed by the Executive to diversify the sector, that the sector has an interest in whether it can participate, tomorrow’s power could be upsetting for the sector. However, we must continue to support the work that is already being done at home.
With all that is being said about the CBD case, the Council could have the predisposition to approve this law. The legislation seems to have become antiquated as criticized in the ‘CBD Case’, would this law be aligned with French or Spanish legislation so that up to 1% THC is not considered a drug?
In this desire to analyze a new sector, we must consider this analysis with the greatest possible breadth of views. I believe that the essential of this project and because it is my turn to lead it is the participation of the primary sector, always guaranteeing traceability, safety and bearing in mind that it is a substance that must enjoy a high degree of control and traceability. There must be filters and competent authorities that can control it, and it goes much further than the department of agriculture and livestock.
Recently, the head of government, Xavier Espot, mentioned his name as a possible successor to the DA candidacy for the general elections of 2027. What do you think of this option?
The commitment I have now until the head of government wants it, or the General Council wants it, I have it for these two years at the head of the ministry. This is my commitment and my roadmap is to push forward all those projects that we had in our portfolio and that have such a direct implication in our territory. There is a lot of time ahead.
There is also talk of the possibility of a new right-wing party emerging in Andorra. How do you think this could impact the political landscape of the country and, in particular, Democrats for Andorra (DA)?
It’s nothing new either, last term there were three other parties that are now not on the parliamentary stage, yes one of them with the non-affiliated councilor VÃctor Pintos is part of the Liberals with whom I have a lot of sympathy in the economy committee. But as I said, these two parties are currently not on the parliamentary scene, and both have a more liberal tendency like ‘Acció’ and ‘Terceravia’. I would say that it is nothing new, but as more political plurality and options for citizens, from the democratic side it is a good initiative, and in this sense nothing more to say.
What is the milestone that you value most of all that is being done?
It is a portfolio that has a very direct involvement with the territory. From improving the circular economy, waste collection and its management. Encourage less waste, encourage more responsible water consumption with the new water law on the horizon. Promote the agricultural and livestock sector, species recovery plans and the territory protection project. With this year and a half we have been able to publicize and promote several projects that we had in the program and to see that they progressed is the satisfaction you can have. Always together with many actors involved in the ministry and the Banders body. It is satisfying that there are obviously committed people who help to promote these actions every day. What I would like and what I would like to achieve with various actors is to achieve the protection of 30% of our territory. I believe that achieving this would not be a great goal for me, but a great favor to the country. We must try to protect the territory and leave it to our children better than we found it from our fathers and mothers, and godfathers and godmothers. This more sustainable model has been worked on from the omnibus law where there is this sustainable country model, and here the primary sector has a lot of room.