With the collapse of national olive production (-37%) Italians have to say goodbye to more than 1 bottle out of 3 of Made in Italy extra virgin olive oil. At the same time, the inflation caused by the conflict in Ukraine sends retail prices soaring and farmers to their knees. This is what the exclusive Dossier "2022 between climate and conflict, the new oil is born" by Coldiretti and Unaprol on ISMEA data reveals on World Olive Tree Day. In Italy, the plant symbolizing peace has been hit hard by the effects of climate change in a year that has been defined by a proliferation of severe occurrences, such as terrible weather and drought, as well as international tensions with the crisis in Ukraine and the rises in energy and raw materials costs that weigh heavily on businesses and people. The national output in 2022 falls to about 208 million kilos, a significant decline from the previous campaign, but climate change reduces all southern crops while increasing those in the central-northern areas, where farming has stretched to the foot of the Alps in Italy over the years due to the propensity to overheat. The biggest decreases have been seen in Southern Italy, particularly in the olive-growing areas of Puglia and Calabria, which account for 70% of the national yield.
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