Growing mangoes in Greece is the latest dramatic test of climate change as droughts become the norm

“Right there!” he shouted.

For decades, this fertile land on the coast of the Ionian Sea has been famous for olive trees, in addition to melons and other crops.

But even this part of Greece that has more rain than other parts of the country is facing the effects of drought.

After the warmest winter on record, Greece also experienced its hottest June and July temperatures since reliable data collection began in 1960.

“There is no winter,” Adamopoulos, 38, told AFP, adding that his property had not received rain since March.

“There is no water, there is no agriculture,” said a farmer whose trees seem to grow in the Ionian Sea.

Most of Adamopoulos’ income currently comes from iceberg lettuce.

But with more droughts to come, he may soon have to give up some of his profitable, but water-demanding crops, such as watermelon.

Adamopoulos is among a small number of Greek growers who are turning to tropical fruits – mangoes, avocados, lychees, cherimoya and macadamia nuts – which he says are “resisting” the rising temperatures of the Mediterranean region.

Currently, he grows several mango and avocado trees on his 80-hectare (198-acre) property.

The exotic fruit has adapted so well to its new environment that Adamopoulos now plans to plant 300 more trees. He said he has already received orders for his first harvest, which will come at the end of this month.

The initiative is part of a study by Greece’s agricultural agency Demeter to find out if tropical fruits can help solve the country’s impending drought.

Not a miracle solution

Research director Teresa Tzatzani says the point is to “find new ways to face this climate change, and make it work for us”.

“It’s very hot all year round, and this is good for these crops,” he said.

Although the avocado is already growing on the island of Crete, scientists were not sure if the tree would adapt to the conditions in Greece.

And although mango trees need very little rain, the past two winters have been unusually dry, Tzatzani noted.

This type of innovation is important to save the sector from future climate disasters, said Antonis Paraskevopoulos, head of agriculture in the local area of ​​Triphylia.

But for now, tropical fruit is not a miracle solution.

The program currently has only twelve farmers and about 10 hectares under cultivation.

And while it is not intended to replace local produce such as olives or oranges, it can work as a supplement, said Tzatzani, who plans to extend the trials to other regions of Greece.

Neighboring countries have similar problems. In Italy, farmers in Sicily have started producing mangoes, bananas and papayas.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the Mediterranean region, which is one of the “most areas” of climate change, will experience frequent heat waves and droughts.

‘Bad year’?

Theodoros Dimitrakakis, another Greek farmer participating in the project, estimates that it will take years for the production of tropical fruits to become profitable in Greece.

Although he is enthusiastic about this experiment, the 34-year-old man says he cannot devote all his time to it, as his source of income, the olive trees, requires all his attention.

His village, like many in Greece, is often without water for several hours during the day due to planned cuts.

Last year, his olive yield was 60 percent below average, Dimitrakakis said.

Although he was an environmentalist during his university years, Dimitrakakis admits that he only recently realized that climate change will affect him so soon.

Now he hopes to convince other local farmers, some of whom like to think it’s just a “bad year”.

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