Since 2013, the Xylella fastidiosa (Pierce’s Disease) crisis in Salento has continued to decimate the region’s olive groves. In some instances, families who have been growing olives and milling olive oil for generations have lost their livelihood thanks to the unforgiving pathogen. These days, the peninsula, once teeming with resplendent olive groves, is dotted with dead and abandoned trees — many of them centuries old.
Some progress has been made in developing olive cultivars that are resistant to the disease.
As saddened as we are by what’s happening on the ground in Salento, we were pleased to see this CBS Sunday Morning story about the crisis.
Misinformation about the problem hasn’t helped to resolve it. And we are glad to see more coverage of the issue in the mainstream media.
Check it out (it’s free for all).
