Adeje develops the first edible forest in the Canary Islands against climate change

Despite being located in the heart of the urban center of one of the municipalities with the most hours of sunshine in Tenerife, inside the Central Park of Adeje, only productive or edible public forest in the Canary Islandssmells of humidity and breathes freshness, as DIARIO DE AVISOS was able to verify during a visit this week, in which it verified on the ground the meritorious work carried out by the teams of workers hired by the City Council.

The great southern lung, which was sponsored four years ago by Robert Kennedylawyer, environmental activist and nephew of the former president of the United States, who planted a dragon tree as a symbol of “a better and sustainable world in the fight against climate change“, extends over an area of more than 30,000 square meters (more than 60% is already planted) and will bring together, once completed, 25,000 plant species including fruit trees, ornamental trees, palm trees and aromatic, medicinal and culinary plants.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re in Adeje, right?” joked one of the workers during the tour to highlight the climatic contrast offered by the South’s great environmental commitment, which has already borne its first fruits. More than 15 tons of vegetables and fruits born and developed in this plant area, located between the neighborhoods of Las Nieves and Las Torres, have been destined to the Food Bank in the last two years. The park also fulfills another important social function: people with low economic resources and at risk of social exclusion are responsible for its maintenance through training and employment programs activated by the City Council.

In addition to the large botanical garden, which will have a 290 cubic meter lagoon with birds, fish and a small waterfall as one of its central elements, the space will include in the northern area an area dedicated to promoting knowledge of agriculture and local crafts. and will have an open nature classroom in which visitors will be able to appreciate the different techniques applied in agroforestry.

To do this, an old warehouse in which tomatoes (Fyffes) were formerly packaged will be restored and converted into an area “to raise awareness about the primary sector, the importance of kilometer zero, promote research, craftsmanship and add value. to a tourist destination that wants to be of quality,” José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, mayor of Adeje, explained to this newspaper on site, aware of the need for the tourism industry and the agricultural sector to “connect.”

Adeje develops the first edible forest in the Canary Islands against climate change

Juan Antonio Hernández, agronomist, international consultant and one of the great architects of the project, remembers that the place was a “waste dump” where waste from the construction of nearby urbanizations ended up. “What we are doing is to produce food, have green employment niches, contribute to social benefits, but, let’s not fool ourselves, we do it above all because we have no choice: we must fight against climate change, if we want our children to have future,” he says in an informative video from the Adeje City Council, an institution that organizes, upon request, specific visits for small groups.

Carlos Borromeo Falcón, architect, surveyor and municipal technician explained that to get the maximum performance from the soil, the “lasagna” technique is applied through four layers made up of earth, compos, chips and plant remains or mulching. Furthermore, as expert Juan Antonio Hernández advises, even the smallest detail is taken care of when planting. “The placement and proximity of the different species is very important to generate an optimal natural ecosystem. Due to the high density, the plants compete with each other in search of the sun and grow faster, although I prefer to say that they help each other,” says Falcón.

Environmental tax

After acknowledging that it is one of the projects of which he feels most proud “for its commitment to climate change and its social impact,” Rodríguez Fraga stressed that the Adejera mini-tropical forest, still without an official name (“the Central Park thing seems to me a little pretentious,” says the mayor), it is a “tribute” to the environment and a “lung” in an urban space that has become the new development pole of the municipality.

“It was initially proposed as a conventional park and later the idea was fed back and we evolved towards the concept of a productive park, although it has not been easy,” stressed the mayor, who highlighted the “work and vocation” of the people who work in its maintenance. Eradicating a focus of subterranean termites, whose presence has been detected in three municipalities in the South, is now one of the priority objectives of the City Council in collaboration with the Cabildo.

Experts emphasize that parks of these characteristics provide environmental benefits and contribute to reducing the greenhouse effect, preventing soil erosion and improving groundwater levels. It is estimated that one hectare of forest absorbs 18 tons of CO2, produces 12 tons of oxygen and provides another 13 tons of organic matter, in addition to being a natural barrier to wind, rain and noise.

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