November Dreer Fellowship Report

The Olive in Spain - An Image, an Identity, and an Insight into Sustainability

In the United States, it is not uncommon to hear opinionated voices speaking out against the “horrors” of chemical pesticides and lauding the organic produce at their local cooperative market. In Europe, segments of the population agree that genetically-modified foods are “evil” and should not be consumed, much less even allowed within their borders. A movement toward “sustainability” is sweeping much of the upper-middle class population in developed countries around the globe; yet, many of these people are so far removed from the food production system that it is difficult to know whether they are campaigning from emotional ignorance or with researched principles.

Nonetheless, in the developed world, where we are fortunate to have the means and flexibility to adapt our farming practices to a changing palate – unlike in the developing world where food might be a luxury or its production a means of subsistence – “sustainable” farming practices are becoming more common, or at least receiving some attention among farmers as they realize the niche of catering to those with the aforementioned convictions. If the public wants food produced by environmentally “sustainable” methods, farmers – though sometimes gradually – are beginning to modify their operations to meet these demands. But, just as farmers in the developing world may neglect the environment as a means toward subsistence, growers in developed countries, too, have subsistence, or economic, considerations. For this reason, the principal of “sustainability” has taken on the definition of “meet(ing) the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own…” (UC SAREP). Thus, the meaning of “sustainability” has evolved to include not only an environmental but also an economic component. As farmers are also businesspeople in the developed world, practices favorable for a healthy environment will most often only be adopted if they are also economically-sound.

It is with this inclusive definition of sustainability in mind that I conduct my travels, work, and studies, made possible by the Fredrick Dreer Award, awarded to me by the faculty in the Departments of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Cornell University. From November of 2005 through October 2006, I will be traveling among three countries on three continents to learn more about sustainability issues. I have begun in Spain, residing here for three months, traveling next to Chile for three months, and finishing in New Zealand for six months. In each place, I will focus my attention on a regionally important crop (or crops) and the sustainability issues involved the production. Here in this first of monthly summaries, I document an overview of my studies and observations of the olive (Olea europaea) in Spain.

The Olive as a Symbol
From historical times to the present, the olive has come to symbolize many virtues. Durable, living in poor soils and needing very little water, the olive tree has been a symbol of strength and resilience. Olive branch coronets were awarded to winners in the early Olympic Games for their physical prowess. Mediterranean populations in the centuries B.C. understood the healthful properties of olive oil, using it as both an internal and external elixir. Worldwide religions have recognized the olive tree: awed by its longevity, viewing its fertility at an old age as magical, and considering the food and shelter it provides as benevolence from a god. Jews and Christians have further reference of its symbolism, using its oil in anointing ceremonies, burning the oil to give light, and having reference to branches as peace offerings in the Old Testament. In fact, the olive branch as a symbol of peace was extended to our own country’s origin, as our founding fathers developed our national seal of an eagle griping arrows and an olive branch, illustrating our ability to make war and peace. Finally, how can one not become enveloped by the pastoral serenity of an old, gnarled olive tree? And thus, for centuries, the olive has symbolized so much that is good.

The Olive and Spanish Culture
In Spain, nonetheless, the realm of the olive surpasses symbolism. The fruit is more than an appetizer served on a fancy platter or the palatable decoration in a cocktail. But, as appetizers and cocktails are social foods, so is everything consumed in the Spanish culture, as meals are generally social events. And so the olive finds itself, needing no special occasion to warrant its display on the dining table. It is eaten daily – for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – amongst jovial conversation. Its oil is a staple in every kitchen – replacing butter, margarine, and other refined oils in dishes, dressings, and on bread – and the noses and palates of Spaniards are trained to detect quality and preference.

The olive tree also has its place in the culture. The roads connecting towns and villages are often lined with a corridor of olive trees. The countryside is a patchwork of olive orchards, young and old. Hillsides are speckled with trees planted and abandoned for steadier ground, and mountains exhibit the remnants of nature’s doing long ago.

And every village has a mill – the core of these small, remote locations. Every winter, farmers bring their product there for processing. Those without land of their own help with the harvest or work in the mill to create that region’s specific blend, carefully crafted in hope of attaining that coveted ‘extra vigin’ label. In the air wafts the sweet aroma of its product, and to street fairs they take it for the public to sample, compare, and buy.

The olive could, perhaps, be considered the lifeblood of Spanish culture.

The Olive and the Spanish Economy
Not only is the olive a cornerstone of Spanish culture, it also gives life to the country’s economy. With one third of the country’s approximately 195,000 square miles of land under agricultural production, (roughly 41.6 million agricultural acres), 4.7 million acres are under olive cultivation (approximately 11% of arable land). Most of the olives are processed into olive oil, making Spain the largest producer of olive oil in the world, followed by Italy, which has less than half of Spain’s total acreage, and Greece.

With the three largest olive oil producing nations in Europe, it should come as no surprise that the European community outputs 79% of the world’s annual olive oil. Various other regions with Mediterranean climates are responsible for the remaining yield in small quantities. As the European community produces most of the world’s olive oil, so too does it consume the majority at 71%. As the health advantages of olive oil are learned, nonetheless, consumption in other countries is escalating. Increased consumption in the United States, Australia, and Japan, for example, has resulted in importation of the product, primarily from the European community, which exports approximately 68% of its production. And again, as Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the European community, there is no doubt that the making (by means of employment), domestic consumption, and exportation of olive oil are major factors contributing to the Spanish economy.

The Olive and the Environment
It seems dichotomous that in a country where petroleum refineries freckle the coast and smoking is a common practice that awareness of environmental and human health would be recognized to any great extent. As with any move toward something new, as is the case with the sustainability “movement”, change usually comes slowly and starts little by little. It is perhaps then no surprise that environmental sustainability in Spain has evolved with this little fruit.

From the canopy to the roots, sustainable environmental practices are penetrating the industry. In the past, before mechanization of olive culture was in full fruition, olive trees were planted on steep mountainsides, and navigating roots excelled in preventing soil erosion. Today, however, growers have generally abandoned these steep hillsides for more moderately sloped lands, where high-density plantings can excel, machines can aid in cultivation and harvest, and larger profits can be reaped. In these intensive cases, the roots cannot withstand soil degradation alone, and cover crops have become increasingly observed as a means of conserving valuable topsoil and water resources.

Pest management is another avenue through which environmentally conscious research is taking hold. The two pests of greatest concern to the industry are the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) and Verticillium wilt fungus (Verticillium dahliae). The larvae of the fruit fly bore into the olive fruit, making noticeable tunnels. These tunnels lead to oxidation of the flesh and poorer quality fruit. Verticillium infects the xylem tissue and disrupts water movement. Symptoms begin as chlorosis, move to necrosis, and result in complete limb defoliation. Trees may even succumb to death when the condition is severe. Environmentally sustainable practices to control these pests are still in their infancy of investigation but include kaolin clay for the fruit fly and genetic resources – both varietal and rootstock – for Verticillium wilt.

The Role of IRTA
There is obviously much to consider when examining this important, changing, and growing agricultural industry. Thankfully for growers, however, there exists an institute – comparable to land grant universities in the United States – that investigates these issues for the public good.

I am working at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA), Mas Bové Center outside of Reus. IRTA, a public institution funded by the government, has several centers throughout Catalonia, each specializing in specific agricultural commodities or sectors. For example, at Mas Bové, there are two departments: the Department of Mediterranean Fruits (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, carobs, and olives) and the Department of Animal Nutrition. The professors of IRTA are not associated with a university; thus, they do research and extend their findings to growers as their public responsibility, but they have no formal teaching appointment. The scientists with whom I am working are Dr. Joan Tous and Agustí Romero. Joan’s research is in olive tree culture: variety and rootstock evaluations, training systems, and density plantings. Agustí concentrates on olive oil evaluations and sensory panel training to the guidelines of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC). There is a graduate student working with Joan, Núria Mallen. Núria is a student of the University of Barcelona, College of Biology, and is evaluating olive rootstocks for her Ph.D project. These, along with various lab technicians and field staff, are the people with whom I spend my work days.

In just the first two weeks, I have learned so much and am filling a journal with information to take home. From the laboratory to the nursery to the field, I have worked in all, making cuttings for propagation, measuring tree diameter, harvesting the crop, and evaluating olive maturation and oil quality. I have also been doing quite a bit of reading to understand olive culture in general and more specifically the environmental and economic sustainability issues (as described in the previous sections) about which I proposed studying and for which I was awarded the Dreer fellowship. Perhaps what has been the most valuable aspect of my days, however, has simply been shadowing some of the workers – learning more about varieties, diseases, olive oil processing, etc. This has also allowed me the opportunity to practice speaking Spanish – another objective for my time here.

In the weeks to come, I will become more involved in the olive harvest and oil processing. I will be visiting farms and mills throughout the region, learning the practices involved in producing quality olive fruit and training my palate to evaluate quality olive oil. I expect the coming months to be physically and intellectually challenging but educational and interesting as I come to appreciate the olive as an image, an identity, and an insight into sustainability.

References

2005. El mercado mundial del aceite de oliva. Olivæ. 103, (June 2005): 4-7.

2005. Information Please Database. Pearson Education, Inc. www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0194020.html.

Feenstra, G., C. Ingels, and D. Campbell. 1997. What is Sustainable Agriculture?. University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Viewed November 2005. www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm.

Ferguson, L., G.S. Sibbett, and G.C. Martin, (eds.). 1994. Olive Production Manual. University of California: Oakland, California.

Taylor, Judith D., 2000. The Olive in California – History of an Immigrant Tree. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, California.

Vossen, Paul. 1997. Spanish Olive Oil Production Technical Report on the Olive Oil Production Tour. University of California Cooperative Extension. Viewed November 2005. cesonoma.ucdavis.edu/HORTIC/pdf/spain_olive.pdf.