Climate change threatens centuries-old cultural heritage of olive trees

07/11/2024 - Along with Germany's Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Prof. Dr. Christoph Gornott, Head of the Adaptation in Agricultural Systems Group, had the opportunity to visit the already noticeable effects of climate change on olive trees in Greece. During their visit, they discussed the enormous potential of regenerative agriculture, which can help to adapt agriculture to changing climate and store CO₂ in the soil at the same time.
Climate change threatens centuries-old cultural heritage of olive trees
Source: Federal Government/ Guido Bergmann

Olive trees can live for several hundred years - some specimens even live for a thousand years or more. These resilient trees are not only a symbol of endurance, but also an important cultural heritage. However, climate change poses a serious threat to these unique trees. The loss of these cultural assets goes far beyond economic consequences and has so far received little attention in the climate debate.

Regenerative agriculture plays a key role here. It not only strengthens the resilience of the soil, but also offers sustainable solutions for the challenges of the future - and could thus help to give olive trees and their cultural value a future in the centuries to come.

“Only by ambitiously converting our agriculture can we not only achieve the climate targets in the long term, but also preserve the cultural heritage that has accompanied us for centuries,” says Prof. Gornott.

The research of Research Department 2 is intensively dedicated to the challenges of climate change and investigates how agricultural systems can be made climate-resilient and future-proof.