ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how the post-productivist turn has impacted on Spanish society in particular ways. It shows how social change has resulted in a new social relationship between agricultural producers and the rest of Spanish society, especially in terms of growing concerns about environmental conservation. Change in Spanish agriculture since the 1960s initially saw an evolution from rather traditional productive practices into a 'modern' sector, as conventionally seen in farming systems in north-central Europe. Alongside the increased incidence of ecological problems, growth in environmental concerns in Spain has been fuelled by changes of a socio-economic and demographic nature. As shown by various opinion polls major environmental problems in agriculture are little recognized by the general public. What this points to is the importance of farmers' own attitudes towards the environment. How farmers perceive and rate the problems of their local environment is of particular importance because of the voluntary nature of agri-environmental policy measures.
