Sustainable development to repopulate the emptied Spain: an opportunity that cannot be missed. By Paco Hevia, Corporate Director of Galletas Gullón
By Paco Hevia, Corporate Director of Galletas Gullón
Our country is moving at two speeds. While large cities concentrate growth, talent, and resources, rural areas are languishing. The so-called "empty Spain" is losing residents year after year: between 2018 and 2021 alone, municipalities with between 2,000 and 100 inhabitants lost more than 15,000 residents, according to the latest available data from the INE (National Institute of Statistics and Census). The gap between rural and urban areas is not only unfair, but also unsustainable for the social and economic balance of our country.
Reversing this trend is everyone's responsibility. Repopulating the empty Spain requires decent employment opportunities, quality public services, and modern infrastructure that allows people to live and prosper safely. And for that to happen, businesses play a crucial role.
In fact, companies should view rural areas as a space of opportunity, not a place of retreat. Establishing themselves in unpopulated areas not only helps redistribute wealth, but also allows them to generate a positive social impact and develop local talent while still producing high-quality products.
But this process must be accompanied by a firm commitment to the territory: caring for the environment, investing in innovation, collaborating with social and cultural organizations, and offering competitive working conditions that allow workers and their families to settle. Once again, sustainability plays a fundamental role, also in the challenge of depopulation, for which it is essential to rethink the development model, placing the economic, social, and environmental pillars at the center of the strategy.
Public-private collaboration, key to developmentHowever, we cannot forget that institutions must also support this effort. We need adequate 21st-century connections, logistics networks, and telecommunications, as well as educational institutions, healthcare centers, and affordable housing. In this regard, the gap between urban and rural Spain is particularly evident. Public-private collaboration is essential to provide the region with the necessary resources, services, and facilities, not only to guarantee opportunities for those living in these areas but also to attract the talent that has left and new professionals.
On the other hand, we cannot allow innovation to be relegated solely to urban centers. Rural areas are home to creativity, environmental awareness, and adaptability. This is where the seeds of a new production model must be sown, one that combines technology with roots, sustainability with profitability, and social commitment with a vision for the future.
In this context, the experience of Galletas Gullón, in the town of Aguilar de Campoo, Palencia, is extremely useful. This family business, a European leader in the biscuit industry, has demonstrated that it is possible to generate economic growth and sustainable employment from the heart of rural Spain. With more than 2,200 direct jobs and a forecast of reaching 3,000 by 2030 thanks to the launch of five new production lines, Galletas Gullón has not only established a population but has also built a thriving community in the Palencia Mountains. A sustainable business model that works, according to its latest results, which show a turnover of €697 million, 10.6% more than last year, while reducing its CO₂ emissions by 16%.
Its model of continuous reinvestment in infrastructure, innovation, environmental sustainability, and the development of local talent reflects a way of doing business committed to its land, as evidenced by its recent sustainability report. Through agreements with government agencies, job training, employability programs for rural youth and women, as well as a powerful social action plan, Galletas Gullón contributes to the real progress of its surroundings. Its commitment to sustainable development in depopulated areas is more necessary today than ever and should serve as a benchmark for those who believe that a more balanced, fair, and green future is possible.
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