August 02, 2017

TRADITOM goes organic

A few weeks ago, CSIC started collaboration with two farmers in the Benifaió area, Spain (see location in map) interested in cultivating traditional tomato varieties following the EU Organic Farming Regulation. From the angle of a “proximity market view” with their target customers being from the neighborhood, those local farmers will test some of the TRADITOM tomato varieties in order to evaluate how they perform on their lands and how much the locals, including renowned restaurants, like the TRADITOM varieties as compared to modern cultivars.

Cesar, one of the local farmers involved, has started this year with cultivating three traditional tomato varieties: Valenciana del Perelló, Cuarentena and Pebre. He is very content with the quality of the tomatoes which they are growing according to the Organic Farming Regulation. Their interest in this type of cultivation is fostered by the local Valencian Government and support given by Josep Roselló, an agronomist and local government advocate of traditional varieties. Previously, another TRADITOM partner, Salvador Soler (UPV), also visited the plot and gave farmers advice on these traditional varieties. The local farmers are planning to increase the size of the plot next year by cultivating some abandoned land across the road. The farmers are members of “l'Associació de Productors Agroecològics de la Ribera” (Eco Farmers Association of Riverside). CSIC is engaging in further collaboration with the Association to cover topics on organic cultivation of tomatoes.