Andorra’s government presents a reform of the Agriculture and Livestock Farming Act that it describes as “the most important step” toward launching medicinal cannabis cultivation in the country, creating the legal structure needed for the primary sector to participate in new agricultural industries.

Environment, Agriculture and Livestock Farming Minister Guillem Casal explains that the legislative amendment establishes a collective representative body for the primary sector, designed to act as an interlocutor with public administration and help promote projects of general interest. Casal says the reform represents a major step toward cannabis cultivation because it provides the framework through which the agricultural sector can participate in the creation of new industries.

Alongside the agricultural reform, the government is also preparing specific legislation regulating cannabis cultivation for medicinal purposes. That bill is at an advanced stage and the government expects to submit it to parliament during the upcoming session. Approval of the agriculture reform must come first, followed by the cannabis-specific legislation. Once the legal framework is in place, a tender will open to award a cultivation licence to a single operator. Under the model under consideration, cannabis must be grown indoors rather than in outdoor plantations, subject to strict security and regulatory requirements. Casal stresses that cannabis cultivation would become a highly regulated sector.

The reform also introduces a structure called the Garec, an agricultural or livestock farming group for joint operation allowing between two and five holdings to share equipment, infrastructure and resources. The model draws on a French system that has proved useful in bringing younger generations into farming. Each member can contribute land, livestock, equipment or technology without establishing a conventional company.

The reform additionally creates zoological units for livestock animals kept for family self-consumption. These units face health controls but cannot sell products or receive public subsidies intended for agricultural businesses, a measure aimed at preventing unfair competition with professional farms.

To receive official recognition, the new collective representative body must represent at least 65% of Andorra’s active agricultural holdings, and its members must belong to an association with at least ten years of experience in the country. Participation through this body will provide applicants with additional points in tenders for licences linked to new agricultural activities, with the precise scoring methodology to be established subsequently through regulations.