Salento municipalities seek official agricultural crisis status

The Unione dei Comuni del Nord Salento has officially joined the institutional movement to have the Salento region recognized as either a ‘Disadvantaged Area’ or an ‘Agricultural Crisis Area’. This decision, formalized by the Union's board on October 8, 2026, expands the mobilization beyond the province of Brindisi into the province of Lecce.

Local authorities are seeking extraordinary measures to address structural issues facing the region, including the loss of over twenty million olive trees, water scarcity, soil salinization, and productive desertification. The movement aims to provide support for small producers, cooperatives, olive oil mills, and local workers who are facing significant economic and social distress due to the shrinking agricultural sector.