Lanzarote’s volcanic miracle – Food and Agriculture Organization

Report on the Sustainable Agricultural System of Lanzarote, Spain, and its Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

The island of Lanzarote, Spain, presents a unique case study in agricultural resilience and sustainability. Following catastrophic volcanic eruptions in the 18th century and subsequent chronic drought, local communities developed an innovative, non-irrigated farming system. This system, which transforms an apparently barren volcanic landscape into productive land, serves as a powerful model for achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In May 2025, its global significance was recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through its designation as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).

Adaptive Agricultural Practices and Climate Action (SDG 13)

In response to extreme environmental conditions, including annual precipitation below 150 millimetres, Lanzarote’s farmers developed agricultural methods that exemplify successful adaptation to climate change and water scarcity. These practices are founded on generations of traditional knowledge and represent a direct contribution to SDG 13 (Climate Action) by building resilience in a vulnerable ecosystem.

Core Sustainable Production Techniques (SDG 12)

The agricultural system is based on responsible production patterns that utilize natural resources efficiently, directly aligning with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). The primary techniques include:

1. Ash-Mulch Farming (Enarenado): This practice involves covering soil with a layer of volcanic gravel and ash (rofe). This layer effectively traps humidity, reduces evaporation, and enriches the soil with essential minerals, allowing crops like legumes and sweet potatoes to thrive without irrigation.
2. Sand-Mulch Farming (Jable): In certain regions, a layer of fine, organic marine sand (jable) is used as a mulch. This material retains moisture from the air and soil, enabling the cultivation of a diverse range of crops, including strawberries and sweet potatoes, with minimal water.
3. The La Geria Vineyard System: Grapevines, particularly the native Malvasía Volcánica variety, are planted in deep hollows dug into the volcanic soil. Each vine is protected from strong winds by a semicircular stone wall (zoco). This method conserves moisture and creates a unique microclimate for viticulture.

Contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Lanzarote’s agricultural heritage system makes significant contributions across multiple Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrating an integrated approach to sustainability.

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By enabling the production of wine, fruits, and legumes in one of Europe’s driest regions, the system enhances food security and promotes sustainable agriculture. It provides livelihoods and sustenance for the local community.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The farming techniques actively combat desertification by making arid land productive. They conserve and enrich soil quality and protect crucial agricultural biodiversity, such as the endemic Malvasía Volcánica grape, thus halting biodiversity loss.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The GIAHS designation safeguards the island’s unique cultural and agricultural heritage. This traditional knowledge is a vital community asset that fosters a sustainable and resilient local identity.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): The system is a premier example of adaptation to extreme climatic conditions. It provides a globally relevant model for producing food under increasing water scarcity and environmental stress.

Conclusion: A Global Model for Sustainable Agriculture

The designation of Lanzarote as a GIAHS places it within a global network of over 100 agricultural systems that safeguard traditional knowledge, support biodiversity, and help rural communities thrive. The island’s success in integrating nature, culture, and community provides a powerful and replicable example of how to achieve sustainable development in challenging environments. It stands as a testament to human ingenuity and resilience, offering critical lessons for a world facing the urgent challenge of producing food sustainably under the pressures of climate change.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The article focuses on a unique agricultural system that ensures food production and security on the island of Lanzarote. It discusses how local farmers produce crops like grapevines, legumes, sweet potatoes, and strawberries, contributing to the local food supply and livelihoods.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The article highlights the protection of cultural heritage. The farming system is described as a “living agricultural heritage” and “ancestral knowledge,” and its recognition by the FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) underscores the effort to safeguard this unique cultural practice.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • The farming methods described, such as ash-mulch and sand-mulch, exemplify sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. These techniques allow for agriculture “largely without irrigation” in one of Europe’s driest regions, showcasing a sustainable production model.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • A central theme of the article is adaptation to extreme environmental conditions. The agricultural system was developed in response to volcanic eruptions and severe drought, demonstrating resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The article explicitly states, “Lanzarote is a prime example of adapting to extreme conditions.”
5. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • The article discusses the restoration of degraded land and the conservation of biodiversity. Farmers transformed land buried under volcanic ash into fertile soil, combating desertification. The system also supports biodiversity, as noted by the expert who states it “increased agricultural biodiversity compared to before the eruptions,” and it protects native plant varieties like the Malvasía Volcánica grape.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
   • The article’s entire focus is on the resilient agricultural practices of ash-mulch (*enarenado*) and sand-mulch (*jable*), which were developed to cope with drought and volcanic soil. These practices are sustainable, maintain the ecosystem, and have improved the soil, directly aligning with this target.
2. Target 2.5: By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species…
   • The article mentions the cultivation of “Malvasía Volcánica, a native grape that has adapted to these extreme conditions.” This highlights the conservation of local, adapted plant genetic resources. Furthermore, it is stated that the new farming system “increased agricultural biodiversity.”
3. Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
   • The farming system is explicitly referred to as “ancestral knowledge” and a “living agricultural heritage.” Its designation by the FAO as a “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)” is a direct action to protect and safeguard this unique cultural heritage.
4. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
   • The article details how farmers adapted after volcanic eruptions and persistent drought. The development of these unique farming techniques is a clear example of building resilience and adaptive capacity to natural disasters and extreme climate conditions.
5. Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.
   • The farmers of Lanzarote took land that was “wiping out its most productive farmland” and buried under “lava and ash” and developed methods to make it productive again. This is a direct example of restoring degraded land and combating the effects of desertification in an arid environment.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Target 2.4 (Area of productive and sustainable agriculture):
   • The article explicitly states that “these traditional farming practices — ash-mulch, sand-mulch and the vineyard system of La Geria — cover over 12,000 hectares.” This provides a quantitative measure of the land area managed under these sustainable systems.
2. Indicator for Target 2.5 (Conservation of genetic resources):
   • The article implies progress by identifying the preservation and successful cultivation of a specific native plant variety: “Malvasía Volcánica.” The statement that the system “increased agricultural biodiversity” also serves as a qualitative indicator of success in maintaining and enhancing genetic diversity for food and agriculture.
3. Indicator for Target 11.4 (Safeguarding cultural heritage):
   • The official recognition of Lanzarote’s agricultural system as a “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)” by the FAO is a key qualitative indicator. This designation formally acknowledges the value of this heritage and promotes its conservation.
4. Indicator for Target 15.3 (Restoration of degraded land):
   • The article provides an implied indicator by describing the outcome of the farming practices. Land that was once considered “barren” and “lifeless” due to volcanic eruptions is now used for the “production of wine, fruits, cereals and legumes,” indicating successful land restoration.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: fao.org