A total of 230 of Cabacés in the Priorat region are members of the agricultural cooperative, and the community depends on farming for its livelihoods. José Antonio Robles, the cooperative’s president, explains that income comes from the sole crop of oil, describing it as the only crop well adapted to this terrain and climate. Yet drought has begun to punish this corner of the country, and the Siurana extra virgin origin designation adds pressure. This year has left many families without income, Robles notes. Harvesting is expected in 2023 to be 80 percent below normal, placing a heavy strain on the cooperative. Oil prices have surged by 73 percent. Last year a 5-litre bottle sold for 29 euros; this year it has to be sold at 50 euros to cover costs, he adds.
Olive oil serves as a clear lens to understand how climate inflation affects rural economies. Poor harvests in recent years pushed the retail price up sharply in a single year. The drought and high temperatures reduced not only the liters produced but also depleted existing stocks as olive groves could not yield as many olives when irrigation was limited.
The situation in Cabacés reflects this. The water ran dry last year and many homes were affected by the Margalef Dam shutdown. The cooperative sources its water locally. Trees that did not receive adequate irrigation could not bloom, so olives failed to form. Those few that managed to mature did so poorly and now yield very little oil, according to the producer who oversees the harvesting from a farm in the heart of the Montsant mountain range.
We were bearing the costs
Now the costs are high, but Robles notes that two years ago the situation was even tougher. He emphasizes that prices in supermarkets are decided by intermediaries, not by producers or cooperatives. If the cooperative had raised prices in its own store to reflect costs, it would have threatened the business and the families in Cabacés. In a normal year, the town would process between 2 million kilos of olives, but this year only about 250 thousand kilos are expected.
Production costs on Cabacés plots are high and hard to cut. Robles explains that from blossom to mill, about 33 cents per pound of olives is spent by each farmer. The small size of the farms and the steep terrain require mostly manual labor, making mechanization difficult. While these costs are not climate-driven, they are clearly reflected in the price paid by consumers for olive oil.
An ecological product
One strategy to curb expenses is ecological production. In this environment, forest biodiversity is supported by the trees and the fruits they bear, reducing the need for fertilizer. Robles notes that organic farming can prosper without heavy processing, offering crops grown with minimal intervention while maintaining quality.
Recommended by the Agri-Food Research and Technology Institute IRTA, farmers in Cabacés – part of a Generalitat-affiliated center – are exploring another path to shield the cooperative from climate shocks. They are cultivating three kinds of olives, with Arbequina remaining the most common. They also grow rojal, a variety planted in the coldest spots that tolerates low temperatures and yields a distinct, hotter oil. There are even varieties like niggers now in the minority. The aim is to diversify and strengthen resilience while preserving local heritage.
Alongside these efforts, an oil tourism program promotes Cabacés, with the Núria Bru cooperative guiding the effort. Robles states that if the community is to safeguard the landscape, it must act now and stand as guarantors of the region for future generations.