Jaime Jaume Sureda joins the Royal European Academy of Doctors as a Numerary Member

Dr. Jaime Jaume

Dr. Jaime Jaume Sureda, Doctor of Biology, has been admitted as a Numerary Member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors, presenting his inaugural address entitled “Insularidad y sostenibilidad en el sector agrario de las Illes Balears” (Islandness and Sustainability in the Agricultural Sector of the Balearic Islands).

Respondent: Mr. Ildefonso García Serena, Honorary Member of the RAED, Dean Emeritus of the College of Marketing and Communication of Catalonia.

Fomento del Trabajo Nacional, Via Laietana, 32, main floor, Room A, Barcelona, 08003

Tuesday, 07 October 2025

18:30 h

Format: In person and live stream

Inscription: Please confirm attendance at the Secretariat: secretaria@raed.academy or tel. 93 667 40 54

Islandness and Sustainability in the Agricultural Sector of the Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands’ economy is completely tertiary, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over €42 billion, 84% of which depends on construction and services, including tourism.

Since the signing of Spain’s Act of Accession to the European Communities on June 12, 1985, the various measures of the Common Agricultural Policy, Spanish agricultural policies, and regional policies have been unable to halt the decline in the profitability of farms in the Balearic Islands.

The inertial trend toward the disappearance of the agricultural sector as an economic sector is very pronounced, yet Balearic society cannot afford this luxury, either socially or environmentally. The solution lies in finding allies within and outside the agricultural sector, whether public or private.

This alliance should help reduce the negative effects of the factors that determine the insularity of the Balearic Islands and enhance the social and environmental aspects that agricultural activity in the Balearic Islands guarantees. Recognizing the environmental and social values ​​of agricultural activity is the responsibility of society, giving these values ​​an economic value, a price, either in daily purchases or through taxes or public policies. This recognition, along with the recognition of the effects of insularity, will be essential in the negotiation of the new Common Agricultural Policy, which is proving difficult.

Improved quality of reclaimed water for irrigation, adaptation to climate change, the digital transition, artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation applied to the agricultural sector, increased production efficiency, conservation of agricultural biodiversity, market adaptation, and the provision of infrastructure to improve agricultural knowledge, which has been almost nonexistent until now, are challenges that must be addressed to ensure the maintenance of agricultural activity in the Balearic Islands.

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