A strong, resilient industry

With revenue close to €140 bn and employing more than 440,000 people, the Spanish agri-food industry is the country's main manufacturing activity.

Spain is the fourth agri-food power in Europe and tenth in the world. Due to the quality of its products and its extensive range of items, the Spanish agri-food industry is highly regarded internationally.

During the pandemic, the Spanish food industry proved its resilience and maintained a continuous supply both inside and outside the country. Its efficient logistics and infrastructure systems prevented supply chains from breaking down, and it even increased exports.

The dynamic nature of Spanish agri-food exports, showing twelve continuous years of surplus, and representing almost 20% of the country's total exports, have made the industry the fourth-ranked European exporter and the seventh worldwide in these products. 

More than 30,000 companies in the industry currently export food and drink from Spain, with internationalisation being one of the main pillars of its strong position and growth.

In the case of Spain, the food and drink/tourism/cuisine link guarantees a high level of consumption and promotes the country brand, where agri-food produce has become an essential part of the country's culture and traditions.

Alongside this tradition, the industry is undergoing a disruptive and decisive transformation towards digitalisation and sustainability to face new challenges in the form of climate change and adapting to new consumer trends. Spanish Technology Centres are world leaders in specific areas ranging from developing new ingredients to new high-quality protein sources, enhancing nutritional properties and precision agriculture. In recent years, Spain has become one of the few "foodtech" nations, developing an enterprising ecosystem across the entire agri-food value chain.