Technology, Equity and Accessibility in Rural Areas at the 7th Spanish Journalism Awards

This year’s ceremony marked a record for the programme, with 95 submissions received from national media outlets across print, digital, radio, television and podcast formats. Alongside the awards, the event featured a roundtable discussion with distinguished experts focusing on generational renewal in rural and agrifood contexts.

The ceremony opened with remarks from Begoña Pérez-Villarreal, Director of EIT Food South, who highlighted the essential role of rigorous and professional journalism in bridging the gap between the agrifood industry and consumers.

A central moment of the event was the roundtable discussion entitled Generational Renewal in the Agrifood Sector. The panel brought together Patricia Martínez Alonso (Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), Javier González (EIT Food), Carmen F. Uriarte (winegrower and Test Farms alumna), and Rubén Hidalgo (CAPSA). The session was moderated by journalist Javier Bolaños, winner of the 2024 Spanish Journalism Awards.

Speakers underlined the urgency of ensuring a viable and liveable livestock and farming sector, stressing the need to bring innovation, infrastructure and access to resources to rural areas. The discussion emphasised that future generations of farmers must be able to enjoy decent living conditions, supported by modern technology and adequate services.

The debate also highlighted the importance of incorporating a gender perspective, supporting family businesses and fostering collaboration between public institutions and private companies. These elements were identified as key to ensuring the long-term sustainability and resilience of the agrifood sector.

The first prize, endowed with €2,000, was awarded to A Storm of White Gold, a report published by 5W in February and authored by Èlia Borràs, Laura Aragó and Xavier Aldekoa. The piece explores how global political decisions can have profound local consequences, focusing on the combined effects of the climate crisis and India’s restrictions on rice exports. Reporting from Mauritania and Senegal, the authors reveal how these distant decisions have left thousands of families facing severe hardship. The jury praised the article for its careful narrative, its strong use of global data and its ability to translate geopolitics into compelling human stories on the ground.

Second prize, worth €1,500, was awarded to Isabel Rubio for Is This the End of Camembert Cheese? How the Decline of Biodiversity Affects What We Eat, published in the Science and Environment section of El País. The jury highlighted the clarity of the reporting and the wide range of sources used to explain how reliance on a limited number of food products threatens ecosystems, cultural heritage and human health.

The third prize (€750) went to science journalist Laura G. de Rivera for A Global Village on Mars, with a Stopover on the Moon, published by the SINC Agency. The article examines future space colonisation and the challenge of food production beyond Earth, drawing on initiatives such as Spain’s Green Moon project. The jury commended the piece for its originality, solid scientific foundation and extensive sourcing.

Given the exceptionally high standard of submissions, the jury also awarded finalist diplomas to seven journalists: Miguel Ángel Medina (El País), Julia Brines (Expansión), Andrea Núñez-Torrón (El País Gastro), Beatriz Lecumberri (El País – Planeta Futuro), Beatriz Romanos (Galaxia Food, SER Rioja), Pablo Tello (El Periódico) and Miguel Ángel Mainar (Agronegocios).