Adoption (farming and cattle raising)

Adoption (apadrinamiento in Spanish, apadrinament in Catalan, parrainage in French) of a farm plant or animal is a method of commercial sponsorship[1] in the farming and cattle raising sector. Any kind of farm plant (like a grapevine, an olive tree, an orange tree, an almond tree, an apple tree) or animal (a cow, a sheep, a pig) can become an object of adoption.[2]

In terms of emotions, adoption establishes friendship liaisons between the end consumers and the farming industry. Such sponsorship also makes economic sense since it consists of a back order, or advanced sale, of the crops (fruit, wine, vegetable oil) or animal produce (milk, eggs, meat) at a good value-for-money price, sometimes more affordable than market prices, due to a shorter, if not direct, distribution chain between the farmer and the consumer.

Such adoption is characterised by its mixed nature - it blends physical goods and intangible services. The service side often involves visits to the farm, participation in the productive tasks or regular newsletter updates on the plant's or animal's well-being.[3]