Rising mangoes in Greece is the newest weird local weather change experiment as droughts turn into the norm

“Proper there!” he exclaimed.

For many years, this fertile land on the shores of the Ionian Sea has been primarily identified for olives, along with watermelon and different crops.

However even this a part of Greece that sees extra rain than different components of the nation is grappling with the results of drought.

After the warmest winter on file, Greece additionally skilled the most popular June and July since dependable knowledge assortment started in 1960.

“There is no such thing as a winter,” Adamopoulos, 38, advised AFP, including that his property has not obtained a drop of rain since March.

“No water, no cultivation,” stated the farmer, whose bushes appear to develop proper into the Ionian Sea.

Most of Adamopoulos’ revenue presently comes from iceberg lettuce.

However with more and more arid seasons in sight, he could quickly have to surrender on a few of his profitable, but water-intensive crops, corresponding to watermelon.

Adamopoulos is amongst a small variety of Greek growers turning to tropical fruits — mangoes, avocados, lychees, cherimoya and macadamia nuts — which he says are “extra resistant” to the more and more intense warmth within the Mediterranean area.

For now, he solely grows a couple of dozen mango and avocado bushes on his 80-hectare (198-acre) property.

The unique fruits are adapting so nicely to their new environment that Adamopoulos now plans to plant an additional 300 bushes. He he stated he had already obtained orders for his first harvests, due later this month.

The initiative is a part of a examine by Greek state agriculture institute Demeter to find out whether or not tropical fruits may assist tackle the nation’s looming drought downside.

Not a miracle resolution

Research supervisor Teresa Tzatzani says the purpose is to “discover new methods to face this local weather change, and make it work in our favour”.

“It’s hotter all 12 months spherical now, and that is good for these crops,” she stated.

Though avocado already grows on the island of Crete, scientists have been uncertain whether or not the tree would adapt to circumstances on the Greek mainland.

And whereas mango bushes want little or no rainfall, the final two winters have been unusually dry, Tzatzani famous.

The sort of innovation is important to avoid wasting the sector from future local weather disasters, stated Antonis Paraskevopoulos, head of agriculture for the native area of Triphylia.

However for now, tropical fruits should not a miracle resolution.

The programme presently has solely a dozen farmers and round 10 hectares beneath cultivation.

And whereas it’s not meant to switch staple native merchandise corresponding to olives or oranges, it could act as a complement, stated Tzatzani, who plans to increase the experiment to different Greek areas.

Neighbouring international locations are experiencing comparable issues. In Italy, Sicilian farmers have began producing mangoes, bananas and papayas.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Local weather Change (IPCC) estimates that the Mediterranean basin, one of many “hotspots” of local weather change, will expertise extra frequent warmth waves and droughts.

A ‘unhealthy 12 months’?

Theodoros Dimitrakakis, one other Greek farmer collaborating within the initiative, estimates that it’s going to take years for tropical fruit manufacturing to turn into worthwhile in Greece.

Regardless of his enthusiasm for the experiment, the 34-year-old says he can’t afford to commit all his time to it, as his most important source of revenue, olive bushes, requires all of his consideration.

His village, like many in Greece, is commonly with out water for a number of hours through the day resulting from scheduled cuts.

Final 12 months, his olive yield was 60 p.c under common, Dimitrakakis stated.

Regardless of being an environmental activist throughout his college years, Dimitrakakis acknowledges that he solely just lately realised that local weather change would affect him so quickly.

He now hopes to persuade different native farmers, a few of whom desire to assume it’s only a “unhealthy 12 months”.

Really useful Publication: CEO Every day offers key context for the information leaders have to know from the world over of enterprise. Each weekday morning, greater than 125,000 readers belief CEO Every day for insights about–and from inside–the C-suite. Subscribe Now.