105 Table olives: cultivars, territory and identity NUNO RODRIGUES, ELSA RAMALHOSA AND JOSÉ ALBERTO PEREIRA CIMO – Mountain Research Centre, LA SusTEC*, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança 1. Introduction In Portugal, olive cultivation has a long tradition, with olive trees grown from north to south across the country, particularly in inland regions. This crop is of great interest not only from an economic perspective, but also from social, landscape and environmental standpoints. There are records of a considerable number of olive cultivars in our country, constituting a largely unknown heritage that is worth understanding, preserving and promoting. Among the known cultivars, few are grown nationwide, with Cobrançosa and Galega being the most notable, whilst the majority are of regional importance. They form the basis of the excellent products (olive oils and table olives) obtained from the fruit of traditional Portuguese cultivars, and many centuries-old olive groves still remain. Despite their importance, these centuries-old olive groves are currently under threat. The olive oil sector faces a context of fierce international competition and market liberalisation, which has led to a fall in prices and producers’ profit margins. To increase productivity and competitiveness, many farmers have opted to convert traditional olive groves into intensive and super-intensive systems, also known as high-density systems; it is estimated that around half of Portugal’s olive groves are already managed using these models. Although more productive and suitable for mechanisation, these systems often lead to the replacement of native cultivars with foreign ones better suited to intensive production. As a result, there is a loss of century-old trees, genetic diversity and Portugal’s varietal heritage, as well as a risk that the distinctive character and authenticity of olive oils and olives associated with native cultivars will disappear. Thus, the preservation of traditional olive groves and native cultivars is essential to ensure the sector’s sustainability, the conservation of biodiversity and the promotion of the identity of national olive products. The Trás-os-Montes region has natural and structural characteristics that hinder the implementation of intensive farming systems. The rugged terrain, the prevalence of smallholdings —which limits mechanisation— and the lack of water and large-scale storage facilities hinder * SusTEC – Associated Laboratory for Sustainability and Technology in Mountain Regions https://sustec.ipb.pt/pt/
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