Salento municipalities seek agricultural crisis status due to Xylella

Several municipalities in the Salento region of Puglia are joining a movement to have the entire area officially recognized as a “disadvantaged area” or “agricultural crisis area.” This push, supported by Alpaa Puglia, aims to address the severe impact of the Xylella bacterium, which has caused the loss of over twenty million olive trees.

Local administrations, including Mesagne, Torre Santa Susanna, Villa Castelli, and Mesagne, have approved resolutions to request this classification from the Puglia Region. The goal is to trigger extraordinary, multi-year support measures for agricultural regeneration and climate resilience to combat productive desertification, water crises, and the resulting social and economic decline in rural communities.