A new step towards the valorization of the Italian olive heritage: from Veneto comes a national law proposal aimed at recognition of the figure of the olive grower who is not a direct cultivator or agricultural entrepreneur custodian of the olive heritage.
The initiative – promoted by regional councillors Bozza, Venturini and Boron – aims to give dignity and support to all those individuals who, despite not being farmers as a main occupation, they play a crucial role in the conservation of olive groves, countering their abandonment and contributing to the protection of the landscape and the environment.
A strategic sector between excellence and difficulty
Italian olive growing represents a fundamental asset from an economic, cultural and environmental point of view. With over 1,1 million hectares cultivated and more than 600 thousand companies involved, the sector is a pillar of the national agri-food industry. However, recent data show a worrying trend: in the last three years the number of olive growing companies has decreased by over 26 thousand units, while the olive growing surface has lost approximately 5.750 hectares.
This decline is linked to multiple factors, including low generational turnover, economic difficulties and the increase in phytosanitary and climatic problems.
Italy continues to stand out for the quality of its extra virgin olive oil, but the fragmentation of production and the abandonment of marginal olive groves risk compromising the competitiveness of the sector.
In this context, the proposed law intends to fill a regulatory gap, recognizing the role of those who maintain and care for olive groves without being a professional agricultural entrepreneur.
Who are the non-direct olive growers?
It is owners or managers of olive groves who manage these lands out of passion, family tradition or environmental sensitivity, without falling within the legal categories now recognized.
This segment of olive growers contributes to the protection of the landscape and the defense of biodiversity, avoiding the abandonment of olive groves and the consequent hydrogeological risks, as well as preserving a precious resource for rural tourism and oil tourism.
The proposed law aims to provide support tools to these subjects, encouraging the sustainable management of olive groves and the recovery of abandoned ones.
Among the measures envisaged, there could be tax breaks, incentives for the maintenance and enhancement of olive groves, as well as access to dedicated public tenders to the conservation of the olive-growing heritage.
An award for the future of olive growing
The introduction of this new legal figure could represent a turning point for the sector. The recognition of the olive growers who are not direct cultivators would allow us to frame and support a category that has been neglected so far, strengthening the link between territory, tradition and innovation.
The proposed law, if accepted at the national level, could significantly contribute to the sustainability and resilience of Italian olive growing, ensuring that an agricultural, landscape and cultural heritage of inestimable value is not lost. The debate is open, and Veneto confirms itself once again as a region at the forefront in the protection of the olive sector.
It remains to be seen how the national Parliament will welcome this initiative and what concrete measures will be taken to follow up on this forward-looking vision.
