El carácter de la especialización olivarera en el sur de España (1750-1930). Ecología, campesinado e historia

Abstract

Olive tree represents today the major tree concentration in Europe. Its great expansion started at 19th Century caused by liberal agrarian reforms and, traditionally, has been associated with agrarian modernization in Mediterranean basin due to the growing integration of its production in domestic and foreign markets. This paper seeks to review the causes and the origins its expansion introducing new methods derived form environmental history and social history. We study local case studies which historical sources allow us to profound in this subject with more detail than at aggregate scale, starting at 1750 (when olive land was scarce) and finishing at 1930 (once consummated the firs great expansion known as “golden age”). The main findings show the causes of the weak specialization before 19th Century; the multifunctional character of traditional olive production; how its expansion was also determined by ecological particularities of this crop and by its function on substitute deficit products like woodfire or animal feed; and, finally, how small farming was behind its expansion using olive orchards like a peasant productive strategy.