Olive oil bleeds soil dry
04 June 1998
Olive oil bleeds soil dry
INCREASED demand for olive oil has seen an explosion in the number of trees planted throughout Europe – resulting in widespread erosion on hill-side plantations.
A new report by the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism records up to 80t/ha of soil erosion a year.
Yet the industry gets more than £1.5 billion of European Union (EU) subsidies – twice the amount of the EU budgets for agri-environmental measures.
The report says olive oil subsidies are now the biggest single problem for EU fraud watchdogs.
- The Guardian 04/06/98 page 15 (G2)
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