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82-year-old farmer Manuel Bonilla becomes a social-media voice for Spain’s fading farming tradition

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Documents & data Context piece
  • More than 40% of Spain’s farmers are over 65, while those under 35 account for less than 4% of the sector.
  • Málaga farmer Manuel Bonilla, 82, has gained more than 300,000 followers with his grandson Dani on the account La granja de Dani.
  • Bonilla and agricultural groups are calling for younger people to enter farming, with technology and training presented as ways to make the profession more attractive.

At 82, Málaga farmer Manuel Bonilla has become an unlikely social-media star while warning that Spain’s agricultural tradition could disappear without younger workers.

More than 40% of Spanish farmers are over 65, according to the latest figures from the National Statistics Institute, while people under 35 make up less than 4% of the sector. The demographic gap has alarmed farming organizations such as the Association of Young Farmers, ASAJA.

The countryside is what gives the village life. The countryside is our food, and if the countryside is abandoned, everything is abandoned.

· Manuel BonillaThe veteran farmer explained why agriculture remains central to rural communities.

Bonilla shares farming advice and opinions with his grandson Dani through La granja de Dani, an account that accumulated more than 300,000 followers across social networks within a few months. The project began for a personal reason: Dani created it before temporarily leaving for the Philippines, looking for a way to remain close to his family.

Young people do not want to work in the countryside because I understand that it is very hard, but young people have to come forward so the old tradition is not lost.

· Manuel BonillaBonilla discussed the difficulty of attracting a new generation to farming.

Now back together in Málaga, grandfather and grandson use the account to discuss the pressures facing agriculture. Bonilla says, “The countryside is what gives the village life. The countryside is our food, and if the countryside is abandoned, everything is abandoned.” He also acknowledges the physical demands of the work. “Young people do not want to work in the countryside because I understand that it is very hard, but young people have to come forward so the old tradition is not lost,” he says.

Agricultural organizations are promoting digital tools, drones to improve irrigation and data analysis for pest control as ways to reduce the physical burden and make farming more appealing. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is also organizing courses that offer young farmers practical training and useful knowledge.

My generation is already coming to an end, very few of us are left. Young people are the ones who have to step up because we are almost finished.

· Manuel BonillaHe stressed the urgency of generational renewal in Spanish agriculture.

Bonilla says his generation is disappearing. “My generation is already coming to an end, very few of us are left. Young people are the ones who have to step up because we are almost finished.” Dani has made his own appeal: “I call on young people to dedicate themselves to farming.”

I call on young people to dedicate themselves to farming.

· DaniBonilla’s grandson appealed to younger people through the social-media account.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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