The AIPF supports the first olive oil press in Stromboli

A social olive oil mill was installed in Stromboli on 26^th October, thanks to Attiva Stromboli and the support of the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund.

Attiva Stromboli is a non-profit association dedicated to protecting social and cultural heritage.

The type of rigorously cold processing carried out with a latest generation crusher allows a high-quality olive oil characterized by the volcanic nature of the soil, the absence of contaminants in the environment and intensive treatments.

Olive cultivation is a historical feature of the island, and indeed all the islands of the Aeolian archipelago. The plant is widespread in areas with residential settlements and extends not only in the flat areas towards the coasts but also on the slopes of the volcano with an articulated system of terraces with dry stone walls. Never before have residents or farmers been able to press on site.

The subsequent replacement of the traditional agricultural economy with a growing tourist and seasonal economy then sanctioned a lack of attention that has deeply transformed the landscape of the island.

The numerous fires that have recently plagued the mountainous areas of the island have accentuated the deterioration, allowing the progressive development of pests that have replaced and upset the traditional order of the landscape of the island.

Nevertheless, even today in the best vintages it is estimated that about 10-12 tons of olives are harvested from about 1,000 trees cultivated and no longer cultivated.

The olive harvest involves maintenance with the appropriate pruning and cleaning of the surrounding land with a consequent restoration of the conditions of cultivation and enhancement of the landscape. Maintaining the territory generates the most effective fire prevention system.

The Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund, a foundation that promotes and supports projects to preserve the natural beauty of the Aeolian Islands, has among its objectives the support of sustainable agriculture and has chosen to finance the ÈOLIO project, an initiative that involves and unites the community in actions of use and conservation of a precious asset. Furthermore, the overall cycle of tree care, the collection, transformation and consumption of the olive oil, presents interesting perspectives for the maintenance of traditional artisan knowledge, for the revival of identity and culture in a sustainability perspective.

The revenues will be aimed at improving the sustainability of the project itself and the care of the naturalistic spaces of the island connected to the activity, as a direct consequence of the collection. The owners of the olive trees that participated in the project entrusted the cultivation of plants to Attiva Stromboli and paid the initial pruning work. At the end of the production cycle, the owners will have the right to keep 30% of the oil produced for self-consumption.

Stromboli is also all this!