GREEN COVER IN OLIVE TREES: Respect for the environment.

On the occasion of "Earth Day" 22 April 2021.

Landscape of olive groves in Jaén Mergaoliva

Olive grove landscape of Jaén, with the Sierra Morena Natural Park in the background.

Since the Neolithic period, and over the years, agriculture has been "evolving", modifying the means of production to obtain a "greater profitability" in the harvests. Over the last few decades, the chemical industry has made its mark in the agricultural world, creating the "culture" of insecticides and herbicides, pesticides in general. Little by little, and with much success for their business, they taught us that we have to fight everything that is not the crop in question: in our case THE OLIVE TREE.

For many reasons, and partly with good reason, the older generations welcomed the new offers for the treatment of the fields, thus lightening the farmer's workload. It is understandable that, under the conditions under which people worked a few decades ago, they were happy to use chemicals in agricultural treatments: they gave us the "perfect solution" to work less and produce more. The problem, as is often the case, is the abuse of what we are offered, to the point of using inappropriate doses and with no regard for the environment.

Green cover EVOO Mergaoliva

Vegetable cover in Mergaoliva olive groves. After shredding, it will be converted into natural organic matter.

Olive grove with chemical intolerance

Olives affected by chemical intolerance.

I do not intend at any time to blame the farmer, except in the right measure, for what he did not do correctly... perhaps because of his lack of knowledge. Rather, we should look at the pretentious aims of the big chemical industries that day after day were instituting in every town and country the way to dominate the countryside and the farmer at their whim... and for their enrichment (that of the multinationals).

After years of submission to the chemical magnates, we have seen how our fields have become barren, devoid of plant cover and therefore of organic matter; some olive groves have been affected by the excess of chemical products that they can no longer assimilate: I call them "albino olive trees", because of the colour they take on.

Do we want to get something natural and healthy from a plant that we do not take care of with natural and healthy methods?

I don't want to dwell too much on these details and reflections. I will say that at Mergaoliva we decided to choose a different path from the chemistry of the "cidas", opting for life and the natural that always existed until a few decades ago.

At the same time as we have been turning our fields arid, we have observed how the existing and living fauna in the environment have seen their possibilities of subsisting in it diminished. Pesticides have caused great damage to the soil fauna: insects, reptiles and others; birds' nests have been affected, which have also been deprived of their food: whether insectivores, predators or scavengers. In conclusion, links in the chain of life, of which we are a part, have been abolished. Every day we feed ourselves more and more on products that are less healthy due to the way they are treated. Every day more and more illnesses or intolerances to certain foods appear: there must be a reason for this (...)

For all these reasons, Mergaoliva has opted to take care of the soil, maintain plant cover to create organic matter and look for the recovery of the various species native to the area. We believe that this is the best way to obtain a high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for those who are most demanding not only in terms of health but also in terms of the environment.

Mergaoliva plant cover and life

Inhabiting insects in the vegetation cover of the Mergaoliva olive groves.

Mergaoliva plant cover and life olive grove
Life in the Mergaoliva olive grove

For several decades, "Earth Day" has been celebrated every 22nd April, but at Mergaoliva we try to celebrate it every day of the year, taking care of the relationship between humans, other living beings and the environment that surrounds us all. The herbaceous cover is a generator of life, but also a generator of the rain cycle, which is becoming increasingly scarce.

In line with everything mentioned about the soil, the use of pesticides and the influence of all this on rainfall... I will put a link to a video that I think is very interesting for those who are curious about Nature.

We should pay more attention to the messages offered by our Mother Earth.

Life in the Mergaoliva olive grove

Juan José Mercado Gavilán.

Lahiguera a 22 de abril de 2021.

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