«Cuántos siglos de aceituna». El carácter de la expansión olivarera en el sur de España (1750-1900)

Andalusian olive plantations currently represent the greatest concentration of trees in Europe. Large-scale expansion began in the 19th century thanks to liberal agrarian reforms and is traditionally associated with agrarian modernisation in the Mediterranean basin, due to its increasing integration into domestic and foreign markets. In this paper, new methods derived from environmental and social history will be introduced to review the causes and origins of this expansion. The use of local case studies from 1750 (when olive plantations were scarce) to 1930 (the end of the ‘golden age’, or first great expansion period) will make it possible to examine the issues in greater depth and detail than an aggregate study. Main findings include the causes of weak specialisation prior to the 19th century; the multifunctionality of traditional olive production; how expansion was also determined by the ecological particularities of this crop and its use as a substitute for scarce products such as firewood or animal feed; and how expansion was driven by small-scale farming as a productive strategy for the peasantry.