In the south-western French department of Gironde, olive growers, professional organizations and local institutions are exploring potential olive cultivation opportunities in the region. While the Gironde, in particular Bordeaux , is renowned throughout the world for its vineyards , wine production, some growers stand starting to plant olive trees. The new plantings were mostly the initiative of southern French winemakers and farmers who moved to the region.
According to France Olive, a producers' association, climate change has turned the Gironde into an interesting place to experiment with olive growing and oil production.
“Olive tree cultivation stopped at the edge of Carcassonne, the medieval city north of Narbonne – he explained Hélène Lasserre, director of France Olive – . Over the past 18 years, projects have developed in the Toulouse region and have now spread near Bordeaux. The olive tree, if it doesn't freeze, seems to support the climate from a physiological point of view”.
Gironde typically has a temperate climate. Temperatures rarely drop below freezing and the region experiences relatively cool summers, with the hottest months rarely exceeding 30ºC.
Some of the new olive groves in the region come from the initiative of wine producers who are struggling with the impacts of climate change on the wine sector. For them, olive trees are seen as a way to diversify.
“There is a wine crisis in the Bordeaux region among small producers facing uncertain cash flow and unsold wine inventories,” he said Lasserre. “This mainly concerns the southern part of the region of Bordeaux . Faced with this scenario, many are starting to cut down the vineyard and are looking for alternatives and new agricultural products. “The olive tree could be a solution for them, as well as the almond and kiwi. The problem is water management. We always think that Bordeaux is close to the ocean and, therefore, a rather humid area, but this region is not spared from climate change. The current season is an example of this. Therefore, growing olives without irrigation in this area is unthinkable when looking at production and profitability."
Currently, the France produces about 4% of the olive oil consumed in the country, a figure that hasn't changed significantly in the past 20 years.
Adapted from Olive Oil Times
