Italy: Transformation of agriculture in Sicily, mangoes and papayas replace citrus fruits and olives

Italy 07/26/2024 The hills of Sicily, famous for their citrus and olive trees, are transforming into a more tropical landscape due to climate change. Changes in climatic conditions have led many Sicilian farmers to adapt by growing exotic fruits such as mangoes, avocados, bananas and papayas. This change heralds a new era for Italian agriculture, with Sicily leading the adaptation to Europe's emerging tropical climate. In Messina, the average temperature has increased by 2°C over the past 50 years. A local farmer says he has replaced his lemon and olive crops with mangoes, avocados and papayas to cope with the new climatic conditions. In recent years, extreme climates have reduced olive oil production and vines are increasingly under threat due to drought and wildfires. To address these challenges, scientists are looking for climate-resilient crop varieties that can thrive in hotter, drier conditions. Additionally, desertification threatens around 70% of Sicily, due to ...