Context
On the Provençal territory, an exceptional heritage around cultivated vegetable agriculture has been impoverished for several decades for the benefit of a few productive and profitable plant species (vines and olive trees) with a restricted field of cultivated varieties. However, this plant material, as well as its associated know-how, deserve special attention in order to conserve genetic diversity and safeguard this intangible heritage unique to Provence.
Supported project
The L'OCCITANE Foundation supports the Shared Mediterranean Conservatory within the framework of its “Vergers d'avenir” program, the objective of which is to conserve and promote the varieties of terroir typical of the Mediterranean basin, within the framework of the socio-economic development of these territories.
The CMP aims to protect and disseminate the cultivated biodiversity of the Mediterranean.
Its field of action concerns agriculture and all the heritages, both genetic and human, that accompany it.
Through the capitalization and sharing of knowledge, the association pursues a triple objective:
- To conserve biological diversity, especially local, rare, ancient and local plant species,
- To collect and transmit good agricultural practices and regional Mediterranean know-how,
- To enhance the value of these cultivated resources through the implementation of socio-economic projects for the benefit of a sustainable development of the territories.
The “Vergers d’avenir” program, planned over 3 years, concerns 20 orchard projects based in Provence and the Mediterranean and aims to plant 4,000 trees. It focuses on the planting of several species and varieties of trees that have become rare or marginal in Provençal fruit growing. These include almond, olive, fig and cherry trees.
Some Figures
In 2021-2022, the program plans to plant 280 trees and to preserve 60 rare and/or ancient fruit varieties on 2 ha spread over different sites.
Budget 20 000 euros
Result 200 preserved fruit varieties
History
Project supported since 2019
Total budget 60 000 euros
Final goal 64 preserved varieties
The objective of the partnership is to carry out the "Orchards of the future" programme. Its aim is to conserve and promote the terroir typical varieties of the Mediterranean basin, as part of the socio-economic development of these territories.
In 2019, we participated in the conservation of a rare and ancient tree variety: the Brignole plum. More than 165 trees of this variety have been planted.
