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SearchThe 2026 Agri-Food Sector Report describes a Spanish sector in a stronger position, but exposed to climate and trade risks. According to the research department, its competitiveness will depend on combining investment, innovation, business integration and differentiation.
The Spanish agri-food sector enters 2026 from a more favorable position than in previous years, although it continues to face significant challenges. That is the assessment of CaixaBank Research in its 2026 Agri-Food Sector Report, which analyzes the recovery in agricultural activity and the resilience of the food industry in an environment shaped by extreme weather events, cost pressures, geopolitical tensions and trade barriers.
The research department describes a phase of normalization after years marked by drought and rising costs. However, developments vary across different types of production: the report points to favorable prospects for olive groves and vineyards, while some herbaceous crops and almond trees are performing less strongly. It also warns that improved water availability does not eliminate exposure to storms, hail and heat waves.
CaixaBank Research highlights the Spanish food industry’s considerable capacity to invest, but points to a possible gap between investment in tangible assets—such as facilities and machinery—and the development of intangible assets. These include innovation, digitalization, data analytics, traceability and brands.
The report’s thesis is not that investment in equipment is no longer necessary, but that modernization also requires strengthening capabilities that help improve processes and differentiate products. For companies, the analysis focuses on how to combine both dimensions and turn investment into productivity and greater value added. This is the research department’s assessment of future competitiveness, not a guarantee of results.
The report also highlights the role of cooperatives in consolidating supply, sharing services and investments, and strengthening the negotiating position of farmers and livestock producers. According to CaixaBank Research, achieving greater scale does not necessarily require reducing the number of cooperatives: it can be supported by arrangements such as commercial alliances, second-tier cooperatives or joint purchasing and logistics platforms.
The analysis adds that business size alone is not enough to generate greater profitability. It links scale to other capabilities, including industrial processing, innovation, internationalization and brand development. Integration thus emerges as a tool for improving the sector’s position in the value chain, provided it is accompanied by a value-creation strategy.
The chapter devoted to the wine sector illustrates two simultaneous transformations. On the production side, CaixaBank Research notes that climate change affects yields and increases harvest volatility. In response, the sector is exploring native Mediterranean varieties that are better adapted to heat and water stress, as well as other solutions to improve vineyard resilience.
On the demand side, the report observes a decline in traditional consumption, particularly among young people, alongside growing interest in lighter, differentiated products associated with quality, origin and sustainability. CaixaBank Research considers the challenge to be extending adaptation to the commercial and export model as well, so that products capture more value added. The study presents these trends as a sectoral analysis, not as a guaranteed prediction of how the market will develop.
Overall, the report argues that the Spanish agri-food sector’s current strength needs to be accompanied by sustained adaptation. For CaixaBank Research, the combination of climate resilience, innovation, integration and differentiation will be important in addressing risks and consolidating competitiveness. According to its analysis, the challenge is not simply to produce more, but to do so with greater capacity to adapt and create value.
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