A thousand fruit trees for the abandoned fields of Ibiza and Formentera

The revitalization of the rural world and the promotion of local production are once again at the heart of the Ibiza & Formentera Preservation strategy. The foundation has launched a new grant application call, with a budget of 35,000 euros, to fund the planting of up to a thousand fruit trees on farms in the Pitiüses. The program aims to diversify crops, strengthen agricultural activity, and bring land that had been abandoned back into production.

The initiative, which is part of the ‘Eivissa and Formentera Sembrant el Futur’ project, will allow farmers to apply for financing until November 16. The grants will cover 35 euros per tree, with a minimum of 20 trees and a maximum of 250 per farm. In monetary terms, each farm can receive between 700 and 8,750 euros.

Planting can be carried out between December 1, 2026 and November 15, 2027. In return, beneficiaries must ensure that the trees are maintained for a minimum of five years.

One of the main innovations in this funding round is the priority given to projects aimed at restoring agricultural land that is currently under cultivation. The foundation aims to ensure that the grants are not limited to expanding existing farms, but also contribute to restoring productive land and preserving the islands’ rural landscape.

“We want this support to be a real opportunity for people who work in the fields and also for those who want to put land that has been abandoned for some time back into use,” the organization explained. The foundation emphasizes that the initial investment needed to establish a plantation is a barrier for many farmers and that the program aims to facilitate this first step toward a more diverse form of agriculture that is better prepared to face climate challenges.

Since its launch in 2024, ‘Ibiza and Formentera Sowing the Future’ has supported the planting of 1,934 fruit trees on 32 farms in Ibiza and Formentera. Through this initiative, the program aims to establish a more diversified agricultural model, closely linked to the land and more capable of utilizing local resources.

The selection process will place a particular emphasis on organic farming practices, the recovery of native varieties, and the selection of species suitable for the Mediterranean climate.