• CIHEAM Zaragoza, the City Council of Zaragoza and the Garden of Peace association inaugurate a new garden of 22 olive trees from different parts of the world.

• Through this initiative, CIHEAM, – an international point of reference in agriculture and food cooperation – strengthens links with Zaragoza, where it was established over fifty years ago.

The garden is located in a magnificent location, beside the Palace of the Aljafería.

The Mayor of Zaragoza, Jorge Azcón, together with the Councillor for Public Services and Mobility, Natalia Chueca, the Secretary General of CIHEAM, Plácido Plaza, Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Raúl Compés, and the President of the Garden of Peace association, Francesco Serafini, have gathered on February 21 to inaugurate the Garden of Peace in the Park of the Aljafería in Zaragoza. This new space, made up of 22 olive trees from different parts of the world, is a step forward to enhance relations between cultures and promote peace and cooperation.

The garden has a circular design and boasts a collection of olive trees from the World Olive Germplasm Bank (Córdoba, Spain), representing 21 major olive-growing countries (Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States). The trees are arranged in two rings around an ancient olive tree from the city of Zaragoza of the most commonly produced variety in Aragon – the Empeltre.

The 22 trees are planted in a magnificent location, beside the Palace of the Aljafería, a jewel of Hispano-Muslim art and a fine example of the Mudejar architecture of Aragon included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Francesco Serafini, president of the Garden of Peaceassociation, talks about the initiative: “This is an ideal place for a project that promotes dialogue between cultures. In the shade of the olive tree we can gather together to rekindle a spirit of cooperation”.

The olive: strategic crop and symbol of identity of the Mediterranean basin

For an organization such as CIHEAM, devoted to cooperation in the Mediterranean, the Garden of Peace is a project full of symbolism that enables the Centre to strengthen ties with the city of Zaragoza, where it was founded over 50 years ago. In the words of Plácido Plaza, CIHEAM Secretary General: “Besides its strategic value for the economy of the region, the olive is a Mediterranean symbol of identity and fraternity. Being a prominent part of our institutional emblem the olive tree also represents us as an organization”.

Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Raúl Compés, during the inauguration.

Event Photo Gallery

From left to right: Secretary General of CIHEAM, Plácido Plaza, Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Raúl Compés, the Mayor of Zaragoza, Jorge Azcón, the President of the Garden of Peace association, Francesco Serafini, and the Councillor for Public Services and Mobility, Natalia Chueca.

The Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Raúl Compés, highlights the place held by this Mediterranean crop in the activities of the organization. “The olive tree plays a central role in many of our training and research activities, such as the International Master in Olive Growing and Oil Technology that has been training professionals, technical specialists and managers in the sector for 30 years”.

Situated on the Campus de Aula Dei, one of the most prestigious agricultural research complexes in Spain, CIHEAM Zaragoza comes closer to Zaragoza’s citizens and visitors thanks to this Garden of Peace. Compés adds: “We would like this new space to host activities linked to our values and our mission of cooperation in Mediterranean agriculture and food”.

A project of CIHEAM Zaragoza, the City Council of Zaragoza and The Garden of Peace

The Garden of Peace arises from an agreement signed a few months ago between the City Council of Zaragoza, CIHEAM Zaragoza and the Garden of Peace association. For the mayor of the city of Zaragoza, Jorge Azcón, “this agreement is another example of our willingness to collaborate with any initiative in line with environmental sustainability that we have been developing in recent years, especially when it is based on the values of tolerance, harmony and peace”.

To date, counting the olive garden inaugurated today in Zaragoza, there are 6 Gardens of Peace across the world (1 in Italy, 2 in Greece and 3 in Spain). This network is expected to increase soon and spread to new countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Jordan.

COUNTRIES AND VARIETIES REPRESENTED

The Garden of Peace of Zaragoza has an information panel explaining the project with a list of all the olive tree varieties and their countries of origin. A QR code provides more information about the specific characteristics of each olive variety and about the international Garden of Peace project.

This is complete list of countries and varieties represented: