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Sicilian Farmers Embrace Tropical Crops as Climate Change Transforms the Mediterranean
6 Oct
Summary
- Sicily becoming major producer of kiwi, bananas, mangos, avocados, and papayas
- Traditional crops like lemons, oranges, olives, and grapes struggling due to extreme weather
- Mediterranean region undergoing "tropicalization" with rising temperatures and heavy rainfall
According to a news report published on 2025-10-07, the Mediterranean region, including Sicily, is undergoing a significant transformation due to the impacts of climate change. Over the past few years, the area has been experiencing a process of "tropicalization," marked by extreme heat waves, violent thunderstorms, and rising sea temperatures.
This dramatic shift in the local climate has forced Sicilian farmers to pivot away from traditional crops such as lemons, oranges, olives, and grapes, which are struggling to thrive in the new conditions. Instead, the island is establishing a reputation for producing a variety of tropical fruits, including bananas, mangos, kiwis, avocados, and even papayas.
"We want to consolidate our links with Italian consumers, bringing the cultivation of bananas for the first time to the heart of the Mediterranean," said Costabile Romano, the commercial director of Chiquita in Italy. Sicily has already become one of the world's biggest producers of kiwi fruit and is rapidly adopting other exotic crops.
However, the transition to these new agricultural practices requires careful research and patience. As Lorenzo Bazzana, the director of the fruit and vegetable sector for Coldiretti, a national agricultural consortium, explained, "You can't plant everything everywhere. You have to check whether the soil is suitable, whether the amount of rainfall and the humidity level are suitable and investigate whether pests of native plants can also attack imported ones."
