The Amalfi Agri-tourism Conundrum

            Amalfi, a small, picturesque town on the western coast of Italy, faces difficult decisions in the near future balancing tourism and heritage of its magnificent lemon groves. The government currently imposes a number of regulations, including zoning and repurposing of crumbling structures. Considering the steep cliffs offer little natural flat ground, the vast majority of Amalfi territory is terraced, a series of steps cascading down the hillside towards the sea below. The terracing requires that each bit of land is used with intention, agriculturally or otherwise.

            The difficulty with terraced land is maintenance. In the past, experienced locals built and rebuilt the terrace walls, keeping to age-old standards that stood the tests of time. Unfortunately, even the best ancient walls eventually show their age and need to be rebuilt; the men available to do so today have lost the necessary skills to restore the walls to their original quality. While old techniques offered natural water channels through the walls to irrigate all the terraced plots down the hill, modern methods use mortar and concrete, blocking the water and creating an inefficient irrigation system.

            Modern Amalfi lemon farmers are resorting to concrete pillars and plastic netting instead of chestnut planks and large oak branches to facilitate their crop. Not only does this create a loss in heritage, but also a difference in crop quality, according to Roberto, a lemon farmer we spoke with. The choice between modern and traditional is increasingly a difficult decision. The regulations imposed by the government offer little recourse for land use and traditional methods restrict the quantity supplied in the area, forcing local consumers to import lemons from other locations. Amalfi tourism is dependent on Amalfi agriculture. The increase in tourism puts a burden on the agriculture, creating a negative feedback system. Roberto, and many other lemon farmers, have difficult choices to make in the days ahead, for both their farms and the Amalfi legacy. 

Terraced Amalfi Coast

Terrace Wall: top uses modern mortar, bottom uses traditional techniques

Lemon grove