Food is Territory. Traditions, Landscapes and Olive Economies in Lazio and Abruzzo

Olive growing played for centuries a major role in the central Regions of Italy, with acres of olive groves surrounding hill towns and hamlets, part of a strong tradition deeply rooted in the land. In Lazio and Abruzzo, olive growing dates back to the Roman era and to the early Middle Ages, when monastic orders (the Benedictines) settled in and shaped their huge estates, trying different species and improving yields. In recent years, even larger areas have been conferred the Protected Designation of Origin brand (Reg. CE 1263/96) according to strict technical production policies. Lately, the Common Agricultural Policy, locally enforced by rural development programs (RDPs), has enhanced the establishment of consortia collecting small producers by providing basic services: certification, presses, transparency in international trade, etc. This paper will provide evidence of how olive growing, even within countless variations of local cultivars, has somehow preserved the structural features of the historic landscape. Their persistence in land use, which can even be read as a material survival of several tree specimens, is a tangible sign that olive farming holds its own against urban sprawl.