Did you know that Ibiza used to be a farming island? Farmers used the land to produce various vegetables, fruits, almonds, and olive oil. With the advent of tourism, almost every farmer stopped because tourism was much more lucrative, and large parts of the island were neglected. Almond trees withered away, and no new ones were planted. Fruit trees bore plentiful fruit but were hardly ever harvested. Such a shame, isn't it?

In collaboration with Banc De Terres D'Eivissa, we support nine farmers in activities to improve biodiversity and soil quality. We also believe in giving back to nature in Ibiza. We do this through sustainability efforts. Together with homeowners, local farmers, and hopefully with your involvement, we are restoring the land by planting olive trees. You can read more about this on our Sustainability page.

Banc De Terres D'Eivissa Ibiza has 50,000 hectares of farmland, of which 9,000 hectares are currently in use. However, only 966.62 hectares (2021) are certified organic land. The number of organic producers in Ibiza is increasing by 11% each year, while traditional agriculture is declining as farmers retire. When all agricultural land is privately owned, access to land becomes one of the biggest obstacles for starting a new farming business. Banc de Terres D'Eivissa addresses this issue directly by acquiring agricultural land from landowners and making it accessible to new farmers and existing farmers who want to expand or improve their production. The land is leased to farmers based on agro-ecological management contracts. Since the project's relaunch in September 2020, 54 hectares of unused farmland have been placed under the ecological management of eight farmers.

Projects within Banc De Terres D'Eivissa
The projects within Banc De Terres D'Eivissa encompass a wide range of small-scale agricultural enterprises that ensure the island's food security and revitalize the primary sector. Farmers who take ownership of land through Banc De Terres D'Eivissa work with depleted and degraded soil that often requires significant work and investment to restore and make productive again. This new soil protection and biodiversity initiative, sponsored by Covered, aims to support the farmers during this process and ensure that the restoration of agricultural land is a priority in the early years. The project will bring together farmers within Banc De Terres D'Eivissa and support them in improving soil and ecosystem quality on their fields over a period of three years. We support the farmers through a WhatsApp group and regular meetings to discuss their progress, provide feedback on the app, and share experiences with their colleagues. This is a pilot study that, if successful, we will expand to all organic producers on the island through the Apaeef (Associacion de Productores d'Eivissa I Formentera/Biological Producers Association of Ibiza and Formentera).

Making Ibiza a little more beautiful, join us!
When you book with Covered, we contribute €10 to a local green project at Banc De Terres D'Eivissa. We also ask homeowners (€10) and you as a customer to contribute. Together, we can make a small difference. We're more than happy to lend a helping hand to these farmers in achieving their goals. Hopefully, with your help!

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