Multifunctionality and new agroecological practices in the Huerta of Alicante
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Abstract
Since the end of the last century, there has been a paradigm shift in the rural-urban relationships. The diffusion, proliferation and consolidation of advocate movements for a healthier, better quality and proximity food has turned peri-urban areas into opportunity spaces given their proximity to consumers of fresh foods. The preservation of traditional agrarian landscapes through their multifunctionality is also at the basis of this change. The aims of this paper are: 1) To show the agroecological and multifunctionality initiatives that are being carried out in the Alicante orchard; 2) To Categorize these initiatives; and 3) To highlight the strengths and weakness of these actions. To achieve them, various sources (scientific papers and web pages) and interviews with stakeholders have been carried out. The results indicate that agroecological paradigm and multifunctionality of landscapes offer new opportunities to maintain the few agricultural spaces that survive in this area (traditional orchard) and preserve its heritage. These initiatives show a punctual, recent and disconnected character as a result of the intense tourism and urban development that has taken place in the periphery of the city of Alicante in the last decades.