United Nations acknowledges our millenary olive trees as World Heritage

We are very happy to announce that the millenary olive trees from the Sénia Territory (to which Godall belongs) have been declared by UNFAO as “Important System of World Agricultural Heritage (SIPAM)”.

On December 7, our local newspaper, Mes Ebre (see: https://bit.ly/2FHTryy) reported that this acknowledgment was approved by the GIAHS program of the FAO and its Scientific Advisory Group. The Scientific Advisory Group also congratulated all the people involved in the candidacy and stated that the bidding letter from Ms. Tere Adell (manager of the Senia Territory) was the “best presentation letter” received.

Ralda & Friends, as well as the FAO and the rest of members of the Senia Territory hope that this recognition will lead to the maintenance of millenary olive systems for future generations. As you have read in this web months ago, our land is now suffering from agricultural plundering, as many of these legendary trees have been uprooted and transported to other countries. By doing that, they are not only removing our trees and landscape, but also our culture and tradition.

The Territory Sénia  is a local entity made up of 27 municipalities (15 Valencian ones, 9 Catalans and 3 Aragonese), placed in the point of the Valencia Region, Catalonia and Aragon and, beside sharing geography, history, language and culture, it has the major concentration of millenary olive trees of the world: more than 5.000 that overcome 3,50 m of perimeter of trunk 1,30 m of the soil.

The sum of many trees creates a forest. And the sum of many olive trees creates a Territory. Let’s keep up the good work!

Alfredo & Pierre RALDA

 

Picture from: Mancomunitat de la Taula del Sénia