Food&Climate
Facing rising temperatures and increasingly unpredictable rainfall, some Sicilian farmers are trading their traditional crops for exotic fruits like mangoes, avocados, bananas, and papayas, heralding a new era in Italian agriculture.
Sicily is the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the five Italian autonomous regions.
The rolling hills of Sicily, once a patchwork of sun-dappled citrus groves and ancient olive trees, have long been the heart of Italy’s iconic agricultural landscape. Underneath the cerulean sky, fields of golden wheat sway in the warm breeze, and the scent of blooming lemon blossoms fills the air in spring, according to a report seen by “Food &Climate”.
Yet this picturesque scene is undergoing a dramatic transformation. As climate change accelerates, shifting weather patterns are slowly reshaping these verdant landscapes into something altogether unexpected: a tropical paradise, according to “National Geographic”.
Sicily may be just the first European region to grapple with an expanding tropical climate, showing the rest of the continent what it means to adapt to a changing planet.
In the heart of Messina, a town on the northeast tip of Sicily, a worrisome rise in average temperature of about 4°F has unfolded over the past 50 years. There, an enthusiastic local grower tends to his lush property that now resembles a tropical forest.
“When I started, no one believed in me,” says Pietro Cuccio, holding a perfectly ripe mango in his hand. The 70-year-old former architect is a pioneer: more than 20 years ago, he had the idea of planting tropical fruit trees in Sicily, becoming the first person to do so, according to “Green European Journal”.
Now he grows mango, avocado, lychee, and passion fruit at the headquarters of his company, Cupitur, in Caronia, on the island’s northern coast. Cupitur has been producing these exotic fruits since 2000. They grow in the shadow of the Nebrodi mountains that slope wildly towards the sea, and are sold throughout Europe.
The main markets for his produce are Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
But the hunger for these crops is also growing among Italians, so much so that Istat, the country’s national statistics institute, includes mango and avocado in the consumer price index basket. The price is excellent for producers, and the income opportunities are compelling. “I sell mangoes for 3 to 5 euros per kilo, depending on the variety, quality and appearance,” Cuccio says. “If you consider that lemons have reached 20 cents, you understand that the price of tropical fruit can be a driving force for a more profitable agriculture.”
In Catania, experimental wheat crops are being cultivated and tested for their resilience to climate change. The Mixwheat project, a collaborative effort involving the University of Catania, is evaluating over 2,000 varieties of wheat to identify strains that can tolerate extreme temperatures, drought, and poor soil.
In recent years, extreme weather in Italy and throughout the Mediterranean has caused drops in olive oil production, and wine grapes in Sicily are increasingly damaged by drought and wildfires.
While some farmers are pivoting to new crops, scientists are studying ways to preserve current staples. Local universities in Sicily are testing resilient crop varieties capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions. They hope to preserve vital wheat and grain crops that would otherwise succumb to a warming climate.
Entrepreneur Francesco Verri has established a network of small-scale growers specializing in lesser-known tropical fruits. His vision is to create a new “made in Sicily” exotic fruits brand that raises awareness about climate change among everyday consumers.
Crops developed for future use will need to be capable of withstanding a hotter, dryer climate.
As rain becomes scarce and temperatures rise, plants increasingly whither and die, exposing a bare layer of soil that’s eroded by wind and washed away by occasional rainfall. Over time, soils become less fertile, a process known as desertification.
Approximately 70 percent of Sicily’s territory is at risk of desertification due to rising temperatures, water scarcity, and soil degradation.