From net importer to global leader: understanding the drivers of Spain’s meat export growth since the 1960s

Abstract

AbstractHow has Spain transitioned from historically having a relatively low meat production and being a net importer of meat in 1990 to becoming the world’s leading exporter of pork in 2020? This is the research question we aim to address in this article. In our quest for an answer, we constructed a gravity model to examine the determinants of Spanish meat exports. We posit that a significant surge in domestic meat consumption since the 1960s led to substantial economies of scale in the sector, rendering it highly competitive by the 1980s. Consequently, when Spain joined the European Union and liberalized the sector, it was sufficiently competitive to conquer international markets. In other words, we aim to study how a Home Market Effect has occurred in Spain and how it has been reinforced by the European Union adhesion. Ultimately, this high competitiveness has allowed Spain to capitalize on China’s demand for pork in recent years.