Mediterranean olive trees at risk

Although in Ralda+Friends we like to tell you happy stories, this time we need to share one which makes us very unhappy. It is about the first Spanish case of “Xylella Fastidiosa” in Manacor (Majorca, Balearic Islands), a harmful bacterium for a many kind of trees, especially olive trees.

Spanish and international media have reported the discovery of a sub-species of the bacteria in a sample of cherry trees during the first days of November. The trees were in a local garden centre and soon the finding triggered the alerts on public officials as well as on farmers. Only three years ago, a variety of Xylella killed a lot of olive trees in the Southern Italy and the authorities were forced by the E.U. to adopt contention measures.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo has named these bacteria as the “Ebola” of the olive trees as it invades the vessels that a plant uses to transport water and nutrients, causing it scorching and defoliation, eventually followed by the death of the plant. No cure is known yet.

Since it was first spotted in Italy in 2013, the bacterium has spread in other countries of the Mediterranean region. Some studies suggest that the outbreak led to a 20% increase in olive oil prices during 2015.

A new threat is flying over our olive trees. A new reason for Ralda+Friends to ask the support of our friends and adopters.

If you want to know more, please have a look at this BBC article on November 2016: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38050625

And this one from El Mundo, in May 2016: http://www.elmundo.es/cronica/2016/05/08/572cd65be5fdeaa10c8b45a8.html