Helen Mirren, 81, is on a mission to save Italy’s 1,500-year-old olive trees from deadly bacteria
Reported by Times of India World, not nibnow. We are not the publisher of this story, only the source is.
The Xylella fastidiosa bacterium has reportedly destroyed around 22 million olive trees in Italy since 2013, threatening a crop with deep cultural and economic significance. Helen Mirren's initiative aims to support conservation efforts and develop resistant varieties to preserve these ancient trees.
Helen Mirren, 81, is fighting to save Italy’s ancient olive trees from Xylella fastidiosa, a deadly bacterium that has reportedly destroyed around 22 million trees since 2013. Through her initiative, Save the Olives, the Oscar winner is supporting conservation efforts and developing resistant varieties. “We have to save these trees,” she says.
Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterial disease that affects various plants, including olive trees, and is known for being difficult to eradicate once established in an area. Olive cultivation is a centuries-old tradition in Italy, representing both a major agricultural industry and a significant part of the country's heritage.
- •Progress in developing and deploying olive tree varieties resistant to Xylella fastidiosa.
- •Updates on the specific conservation efforts supported by the Save the Olives initiative.
- •The spread or containment of the bacterium in other regions of Italy.