Gargnano Proposes Using Tourism Tax to Revive Abandoned Olive Groves
A proposal to earmark part of the tourist tax for olive cultivation to support abandoned olive groves and safeguard the landscape was unveiled on May 8 in Gargnano’s A. Castellani multipurpose hall. A group of olive growers urged that a share of the tax be used to fund care and restoration of the olive trees, with attendance including the mayor of Limone and president of the Comunità Montana, Franceschino Risatti, representatives of Aipol and Gal, and signatories of a protocol to identify shared measures.
The meeting highlighted current challenges: progressive neglect and abandonment of trees, uneven production due to pests and climate change, and a lack of stable pay that discourages young workers, with most maintenance carried out by enthusiasts rather than professionals. Projects for micro-propagation and replanting of local varieties were presented by Mattia Omezzoli (Vivai Omezzoli di Riva), alongside technical input from Dr. Morten of Fondazione E. Mach, who underlined the oil’s nutraceutical value and the olive groves’ role in biodiversity and tourism. Practically, the proposal urges directing tourist-tax resources to serious projects managed by motivated actors and including olive cultivators in the protocol’s technical working groups.
Italian Version
