News Briefs
The Mar de Olivos (Sea of Olives) is among the candidates to become a UNESCO World Heritage site, according to María Dolores Jiménez-Blanco, the director general of fine arts at the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport.
Sprawling over 1.5 million hectares across southern Spain, the massive olive forest serves as the economic engine for 300 towns and is a “hallmark of Andalusia,” Jiménez-Blanco said.
It is a landscape, heritage, life and culture… which show all the relief and diversity of the region and represent a great patrimonial heritage of the past, present and future.- Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport,
While the vast majority of the Olive Grove Landscapes of Andalusia is located in Jaén, significant portions also cover the neighboring provinces of Córdoba, Granada, Sevilla and Málaga.
After eleven years of planning, Mar de Olivos — or The Olive Grove Landscapes of Andalusia, as it is officially known — was first nominated for recognition back in 2016 in a joint effort by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Diputación de Jaén and the Andalusian provincial government.
See Also:Spanish Olive Growers Replacing Century-Old Trees With Young OnesAccording to Jiménez-Blanco, the formal nomination of Mar de Olivos will be made at a meeting next February with UNESCO set to vote on whether to recognize the cultural landscape in the summer of 2023.
If the designation is approved, it will become Spain’s 49th World Heritage site and the ninth in Andalusia. Only China and Italy have more.
To receive UNESCO recognition, a site must satisfy at least one of 10 different criteria. In their application, the three proponents of the project argued the Mar de Olivos meets at least four.
They said that the Olive Grove Landscapes of Andalusia constitutes a unique Mediterranean landscape (criterion III) that demonstrates Andalusians’ ability to intelligently adapt to challenging geographical and climate conditions (criterion V).
They added that the Mar de Olivos is a living cultural tradition over the past two centuries (criterion VI) that has successfully evolved to meet current climatic and economic challenges (criterion II).
“This idea [Mar de Olivos] forms a solid social fabric, becoming an exceptional landscape,” the Ministry of Culture and Sport said. “It is a landscape, heritage, life and culture. It is about superimposed historical landscapes, which show all the relief and diversity of the region and represent a great patrimonial heritage of the past, present and future.”
More articles on: Andalusia, culture, Diputación de Jaén
Jun. 13, 2023
Spanish Lawmakers Approve €2B Aid for Agriculture Sector Hit by Drought
While most of the funds are earmarked for improvements to water infrastructure and ranchers, the amount available to olive farmers is significantly less.
Jan. 3, 2024
Promoting the Role of Women in the Olive Sector
Jill Myers founded the Women in Olive Oil network to connect women across the sector while promoting their voices and highlighting their contributions.
Jan. 25, 2024
Record Olive Oil Prices Drive Down Consumption in Spain
Consumers are using less olive oil, buying smaller formats and switching to lower-quality categories.
Sep. 28, 2023
Regenerative Ag Practices Improve Profitability of Steep-Slope Olive Farms
After finding that soil health improved in abandoned steep-slope olive groves, researchers determined organic and regenerative farming could yield similar results.
Feb. 29, 2024
Supermarkets in Spain Poised to Clash Over Olive Oil Prices
Olive oil prices at origin remain at historic highs, but direct-to-consumer promotions by some brands have supermarkets weighing their next move.
Jun. 26, 2023
Canneto Sabino: A Living Legacy of Sabina's Olive Oil Tradition
With roots dating back centuries, the millenary Canneto Sabino symbolizes the history and tradition of olive oil production in southeastern Lazio.
Jul. 11, 2023
The second-largest olive oil cooperative recorded total revenues of €280 million in the 2022 financial year, partially due to increased domestic sales by value.
Jan. 2, 2024
Officials in Jordan Work to Protect Millennial Olive Trees
Although they have lived through war, famine and plagues, Jordan's ancient olive trees are now threatened by luxury hotels and affluent collectors.