2024 UNESCO World Olive Tree Day Dedicated to Puglia’s Monumental Olive Trees

A.M.O. Puglia and Save the Olives Announce the Opening of the World’s First Preservation Zone and Monumental Olive Tree Park  

26th November 2024, Ostuni, Italy — In celebration of the UNESCO World Olive Tree Day, non-profit organisations A.M.O. Puglia Alberi Monumentali di Ostuni and Save the Olives ONLUS are dedicating the 2024 edition of this day to the urgent preservation of Puglia’s monumental olive trees which face destruction within two to three years due to the deadly Xylella fastidiosa bacteria. A.M.O Puglia, in partnership with Save the Olives, proudly announce the opening of the world’s first preservation zone and park for the monumental olive trees in Ostuni, a green space created to save these iconic trees. 

This initial 25 hectares of land, to be known as A.M.O. Alberi Monumental di Ostuni, will be managed by A.M.O. Puglia and includes privately owned land from partners who have signed up to a unique partnership that is committed to expanding the park. This collaboration aims to create a protected green zone of over 100 hectares to enrich the local landscape and combat the devastation caused by Xylella fastidiosa. This deadly bacterium has already destroyed 21 million olive trees in Puglia, contributing to one of Europe’s largest deforestations, turning the once green region into a graveyard of trees, with severe impacts on climate and water resources.

To highlight this, A.M.O. Puglia launched a competition involving local elementary school children, whose task was to draw or paint a monumental olive tree. A total of 370 children participated, and 30 winners will be selected and announced during the press conference on 26th November at 10:30 am in the Ostuni town hall. To raise awareness of this tragedy and call for urgent action, copies of the winning drawings and paintings will be sent to regional, national, and European authorities, including Sergio Mattarella, Giorgia Meloni, Raffaele Fitto, Michele Emiliano, and Francesco Lollobrigida, to request immediate intervention to help save the monumental olive trees.

Olives trees between 1,000 and 2,500 years old, classified as Monumental Olive Trees, are at the heart of this mission, supported by key local community stakeholders - farmers, agronomists, tourism specialists, agricultural cooperatives and volunteers. The A.M.O. Alberi Monumentali di Ostuni  preservation zone and green space initiative aims to become a model for biodiversity, sustainability in agriculture and eco-tourism, with aspirations to join the UNESCO Green Citizens programme in 2025.

Paul Bernie, President and a founding member of A.M.O. Puglia Alberi Monumentali di Ostuni emphasises, “This preservation zone for the olive trees, the first of its kind globally, is a powerful example of community action to protect the local landscape and traditions. The monumental olive trees in Puglia are a global cultural, economic, and environmental treasure.”

The establishment of the preservation zone A.M.O Alberi Monumentali di Ostuni also signifies the joint commitment of A.M.O. Puglia Alberi Monumentali di Ostuni in partnership with Save the Olives ONLUS to create a successful blueprint that encourages land owners with monumental trees, in partnership with local communes, to create their own preservation zones and to roll out the training and experience required for the urgent grafting and protection protocols needed to preserve the 350,000 monumental olive trees between Ostuni and Fasano in Puglia, that are currently under immediate threat.

The organisations encourage supporters to take action through donating, lobbying, and sharing on social media to help save these iconic trees.

Cosimo Leone, Leading Agronomist and a founding member of A.M.O. Puglia Alberi Monumentali di Ostuni, stresses, "Immediate action is required. We have a small window of two to three years before it is too late. We are committed to preserving this unique world heritage to avoid an incalculable ecological, cultural, and economic tragedy."

Patrizio Ziggiotti, General Secretary of Save the Olives ONLUS  adds, “This project demonstrates the effectiveness of early intervention of grafting  as the only available solution to preserve the monumental olive trees and together we can turn the tide on this crisis.”

How to Help Preserve Puglia’s Olive Trees: 

• Donate: Help Fund the Crowdfunding Campaign
  To reach the association’s goals including  the grafting of 300 trees in 2025 and 1,000 by 2027, A.M.O. Puglia has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise € 300,000, building on a generous private donation of €120,000. Funds will support urgent grafting  and land management. Donate at ‘Take Action’ amopuglia.com or ‘Adopt a Monumental Olive Tree’ at savetheolives.com

• Lobby: Petition EU Policymakers
  A.M.O. Puglia and Save the Olives ONLUS urge EU policymakers to add preventive grafting to their official plant protection policy. Visit A.M.O. Puglia’s website for key EU and regional contacts.

• Amplify: Share on Social Media
  Help spread the message using #preservetheolivetrees. A hashtag aimed at spreading awareness and inspiring action to protect Puglia’s monumental olive trees. Join the effort by following @amo_ostuniolivetrees and @savetheolives

For more information, or to contribute to the crowdfunding campaign, visit www.amopuglia.com or email: info@amopuglia.com

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About Xylella

First discovered in Puglia in 2013, Xylella is a fast-spreading deadly bacteria carried by insects. It hinders the trees' ability to absorb water and nutrients, leading to widespread destruction. Ten years of research have not produced a cure and apart from treatments of the leaves to keep the tree strong, the only method to protect the tree from the bacteria, is through preventative grafting of resistant varieties of olive trees.

About UNESCO World Olive Tree Day

World Olive Tree Day was proclaimed at the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2019 and takes place on 26 November every year. The aim of World Olive Tree Day is to encourage the protection of the olive tree and the values it embodies, in order to appreciate its important social, cultural, economic and environmental significance to humanity. Conserving and cultivating the olive tree is a growing imperative as the world combats and adapts to climate change. The protection of cultural and natural heritage, including landscapes, is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission and marking World Olive Tree Day reinforces environmental sustainability efforts. unesco.org

About UNESCO Green Citizens

UNESCO Green Citizens is the bridge between UNESCO’s scientific expertise, local citizen solutions and young people’s willingness to act against climate change.  There are currently over 150 impactful local Green Citizen initiatives in 65 countries. unesco.org