Reflections from an external evaluator on the future of olive production systems on sloping land

摘要

The Olivero project focuses on olive plantations on sloping land and in mountain areas, for which the project proposes the term "SMOP". This type of plantation is denned in terms of broad characteristics, but the project does not develop a concrete, quantified definition, e.g. criteria such as altitude, or degree of slope. Although the particular characteristics of sloping and mountainous olive production systems (SMOPs) clearly are relevant for environmental considerations such as soil erosion, the presence of slope and/or mountains also has a direct and indirect influence on economic viability. Thus, the SMOPs concept can be seen as a surrogate for defining a more disadvantaged or "marginal" type of olive grove, in contrast to groves on fiat land that generally are of greater productivity and economic viability, due to better soils, larger holdings, fewer obstacles to mechanisation, better access, etc.