Future Forces Impacting Private Label
TRADITIONAL, INTENSIVE AND SUPERINTENSIVE OLIVECROPPING Adapting to climate change and sustaining production in Spain using organic farming
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As can be found in the Bible and other sources in the appeared first inolive the Kingdom As can be found in the literature, Bible and olive othergrowing sources in the literature, growofKingdom Northern of Judah, in what is now Syria,isand was caring appeared first in the Northern Judah, in what nowitSyria, from by navigators from Phoenicia and ancient and it was carried fromried there by there navigators from Phoenicia and ancient Greece all over Dueistoa its origin, the olGreece all over the Mediterranean. Duethe to Mediterranean. its origin, the olive robust tree ive isresilience a robust tree which has shown historical resilience to which has shown historical to environmental changes, and it is environmental changes, it is very well to the very well adapted to the Mediterranean climate,and characterized byadapted prolonged Mediterranean climate, characterized prolonged summer drought, irregular rain the rest of the year, and fairly by mild winters. summerthe drought, rainarea theunder rest ofolives, the year, and fairly In Spain, the country with largestirregular cultivated 2.7 million In Spain, the country with theolive largest cultihectares, the course ofmild timewinters. has molded the so-called traditional farm, area trees, under widely olives, separated, 2.7 million hectares, thenot course of made up of long-lived, vated very large and usually time has molded the so-called traditional farm, made watered. But its poor productivity per hectare, and the growth inolive demand of long-lived, very large trees, widely separated, and for olive oil around theup world, have prompted a process of transformation, usually not systems watered.based But itson poor productivity per hectare, with new higher-density planting irrigation and smaller trees better suited to mechanized picking. and the growth in demand for olive oil around the world, have prompted a process of transformation, with new highToday, the traditional system remains dominant, although it isirrigation slowly losing er-density planting systems based on and smaller ground to more modern farms: according to mechanized the density, these are known as trees better suited to picking. intensive (200-500 trees/ha) or superintensive (1500-3000 trees/ha). These are more productive models, more water fertilizers, which although Today, needing the traditional systemand remains dominant, already represent 20%itand 10% oflosing the total, respectively. is slowly ground to more modern farms: according to the density, these are known as intensive (200-500 trees/ha) or superintensive (1500-3000 trees/ha). These moreSpain's productive models, needing more water and ferWhat Is happeningarewith climate? tilizers, which already represent 20% and 10% of the total, Before answering this, respectively. we need to understand that, over the next few olivesimportant challenges humanity will have to grapple decades,Basket the of most with are global warming and dwindling resources. Most scientific studies point to a drop in crop yields of 10% to 50% as the result of climate change and soil degradation. This threat, while menacing in itself, is going to be especially acute because it will arise in a context of increasing demand for food from the ever larger world population.
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Against this general backdrop, Spain, because it is in the Mediterranean basin, is one of the countries that is most vulnerable. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), southern Europe is going to have to cope with lower precipitation and scarcer impounded water, higher temperatures, and more frequent or more severe extreme phenomena such as droughts and flooding.
GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2023
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