Italy's wealthy north plunders south's ancient olive trees
Barbara McMahon in Rome
Sunday August 21, 2005
The Observer
The southern Italian region of Puglia is fighting the loss of its ancient olive trees, which are being uprooted and sold as chic accessories to wealthy homeowners in the north. Centuries-old trees, with their gnarled and twisted branches, can fetch as much as €12,000 (£8,125) and a flourishing black market has developed in the past five years.
Puglia, the most important olive-growing region in Italy with an estimated 50 million trees, is the first region to draft laws aimed at protecting its natural treasures. There will be steep fines for the removal of more than five trees per farm, and a promotional campaign is being launched to encourage the consumption of olive oil from the ancient trees.
'These trees are a piece of our history, our culture and our identity that we want to preserve for future generations,' said Puglia's Environmental Minister, Michele Losappio. 'It's not just enough to ban their removal, we also have to encourage the farm sector to protect and make the most of olive trees, which is why we came up with the idea of a label certifying that ancient trees have been used in the production of extra-virgin olive oil.'
Spain, Greece and Palestine have also been hit by the trade in olive trees and in Italy prices have risen dramatically in the past few years. In 1999 wealthy buyers were paying €1,200 for a tree, but now prices start at €5,000 for a 100-year-old specimen and up to €12,000 for a tree that is 500 years old.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1553344,00.html
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