Andalusia and Aragón experienced the most significant increases in organic olive cultivation.
The land dedicated to organic olive groves in Spain increased by 16 percent in 2021, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Organic olive groves now cover 256,510 hectares across 16 of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities, an area larger than Luxemburg. Cantabria, in the very north of the country, is the only region without organic olive groves.
However, organic olive cultivation did not increase uniformly across the country. Between 2020 and 2021, four regions – the Basque Country, Castilla-La Mancha, the Canary Islands and Galicia – experienced a decline in organic olive groves.
See Also:Harvest Outlook Worsens in SpainThe most pronounced of these declines came in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain’s second largest olive oil-producing region, which lost 1,762 hectares of organic groves from 2020 to 2021, a 2.4 percent decrease.
The Basque Country had a far larger relative decrease (15 percent) but only saw organic grove coverage fall from 25 to 21 hectares.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the largest increase in organic olive groves by area came in Andalusia, the world’s largest olive oil-producing region by a wide margin. Organic olive grove coverage rose by nearly one-third from 88,691 hectares in 2020 to 117,380 hectares in 2021.
However, the largest percent increase was seen in Aragón, with organic olive cultivation rising by 79 percent from 4,420 to 7,916 hectares in the same period.
Region | 2021 Organic (ha) | 2020 Organic (ha) | % Change |
---|---|---|---|
Andalusia | 117,380 | 88,691 | 32.3 |
Aragón | 7,916 | 4,420 | 79.1 |
Asturias | 0.04 | 0.04 | – |
Balearic Islands | 1,255 | 1,056 | 18.9 |
Basque Country | 21 | 25 | -15.4 |
Canary Islands | 61 | 62 | -0.9 |
Castilla-La Mancha | 72,392 | 74,154 | -2.4 |
Castilla y León | 699 | 697 | 0.3 |
Catalonia | 9,666 | 8,870 | 9.0 |
Extremadura | 29,147 | 29,131 | 0.1 |
Galicia | 179 | 179 | – |
Madrid | 3,864 | 3,716 | 4.0 |
Murcia | 5,402 | 4,583 | 17.9 |
Navarra | 869 | 813 | 6.8 |
La Rioja | 754 | 736 | 2.4 |
Valencia | 6,902 | 5,589 | 23.5 |
Extremadura, Spain’s third-largest olive oil-producing region, experienced a very slight increase in organic olive grove cultivation.
Catalonia, another prominent olive-growing region, saw its share of organic olive groves increase by 9 percent, rising from 8,870 to 9,666 hectares.
Overall, organic agricultural cultivations in Spain increased by 8 percent and now represent nearly 11 percent of all agricultural land in the country. The number of agricultural operations operating under organic standards rose by 16 percent.
The largest gains were seen in the cultivation of animal fodder (39 percent), nuts (35 percent), banana and subtropical fruits (25 percent) and citrus (21 percent).
More articles on: agriculture, olive tree cultivation, organic olive oil
Jan. 5, 2024
Experts Offer Pest-Control Tips for California's Hobby Growers
Hobbyists use organic practices to combat weeds and treat and prevent olive knot, yellow leaves, the olive fruit fly, peacock spot and Verticillium wilt.
Sep. 11, 2023
A nongovernmental organization seeks to plant 50,000 olive trees across Gaza and the West Bank to improve the economic outlook of Palestinians.
Feb. 29, 2024
Campaign Aims to Curb Misuse of 'Regenerative' in Agriculture
With rising demand for organic olive oil, California farmers are at the forefront of efforts to promote the true meaning of organic, regenerative agriculture.
Jul. 31, 2023
Concerns Mount Over Olive Oil Shortage in Spain
With olive oil stocks expected to run out by the start of the coming harvest and predictions of another low yield, experts anticipate prices to continue rising.
Jan. 16, 2024
Spain Set to Eliminate Value-Added Tax on Olive Oil Sales
The tax cut is part of wider efforts to address the rising cost of living. The measure would eliminate VAT on olive oil until June 30th.
Apr. 18, 2024
Triumphant Producer Reveals Potential of Frosinone
An hour outside Rome, Frosinone is not widely known for olive oil production. Al Piglio hopes to change that with its World Competition win.
Oct. 11, 2023
Small-Scale, Regenerative Farming Drives Quality for Maraviglia in Tuscany
Since 2019, the producer behind Agricola Maraviglia has found a symbiotic balance between nurturing the landscape and producing award-winning olive oil.
Feb. 7, 2024
Oleocampo's 3,500 Members Overcome Harvest Challenges with Quality Intact
Farmers in the massive Jaén-based cooperative sacrificed yield for a tenth straight year of award-winning quality.