Solar park boom threatens Spain's centuries-old olive trees

Lopera, Spain. Along with its centuries-old olive trees, Francisco Campos looks worried about the green tapestry that surrounds his town in southern Spain, where neighbors struggle to prevent the installation of photovoltaic plants from forcing thousands of trees to uproot: “Tapping olive trees to put solar panels is a crime,” he says.In Lopera, an Andalusian town of 3,600 inhabitants, 200 kilometers northeast of Seville, almost everything has t…

Solar power vs olive oil: Farmers in Andalusia protest as solar farms threaten centuries-old olive groves

LOPERA (Spain), April 14 — At his farm in southern Spain, Francisco Campos looked worriedly at a green sea of centuries-old olive trees that he fears will face the axe to make way for a proposed solar park. “Cutting down olive trees to install solar panels is a crime,” the 64-year-old farmer told AFP in Lopera, a town of whitewashed buildings with 3,600 residents in the sunny southern region of Andalusia, Spain’s olive-growing heartland. Spain i…

'It's a crime': Solar park boom threatens Spain's olive tree growers

In the Andalusian village of Lopera, olive trees owners struggle against expropriation and to prevent the installation of photovoltaic plants forcing thousands of trees to be uprooted.

Solar park boom threatens Spain's centuries-old olive trees

At his farm in southern Spain, Francisco Campos looked worriedly at a green sea of centuries-old olive trees that he fears will face the axe to make way for a proposed solar park.

Solar park boom threatens Spain’s centuries-old olive trees

At his farm in southern Spain, Francisco Campos looked worriedly at a green sea of centuries-old olive trees that he fears will face the axe to make way for a proposed solar park. "Cutting down olive trees to install solar panels is a crime," the 64-year-old farmer told AFP in Lopera, a town of whitewashed

At a time of growing concern for climate change and the balance of the urban environment, vegetation has consolidated as a great ally. Trees not only embellish our landscapes, but also help to reduce pollution, moderate temperatures and improve air quality. Therefore, their presence in streets, parks and gardens has a direct impact on the health and well-being of the population.Spain, thanks to its climate diversity and plant richness, houses a …