  This article examines the structures of information transfer to the
agricultural (production) and agro-alimentary (transformation and
commercialization of the products) sector within Spain. An historical
perspective is provided to better illustrate the reality and complexity of
Spain with regard to the systems of agrarian extension, agricultural research,
the resources provided by Spain's central administration, and the use of
information by related enterprises.
  The Service of Agrarian Extension appeared in Spain in the 1950s, and new
political-administrative structures (agribusiness associations, cooperatives)
were founded when Spain became a democratic nation in the late 1970s and with
the arrival of electronic information, largely in the 1990s. We describe the
research and technological centers supporting innovation in the agro-alimentary
sector and the communication media dedicated to the agricultural sector. The
article illustrates that the systems of agricultural information in Spain have
been largely derived from initiatives of the Public Administration, with few
private initiatives.
