Given the focus on leisure, the other reality of Ibiza often goes unnoticed: an island with a pagesa identity that has worked the countryside since time immemorial. A fertile land capable of providing high-quality zero-kilometer gastronomy, offering us delicacies from both land and sea, with authentic flavors and culinary tradition.
Looking to the past, we discover the much-needed Ibiza of the present: an Ibiza based on a circular subsistence culture, in which salt flats, agriculture and fishing were the main economic sources. Respect for the land, the bidirectional fostering of local nutrients and the richness of the fields and sea is the heritage that must be preserved today.
The island’s best-known landscapes are the beautiful white sandy beaches, the wild coves and the natural caves, but the Ibizan panorama is also made up of ecological orchards full of flavor, fields packed with nutrients, lush pine forests and, of course, the richness of the Mediterranean Sea.
To protect the environment and the island’s traditional agricultural landscapes, the consumption of local products grown in a sustainable manner must be supported and promoted. By optimizing the care of the land, we receive in return the best treasures: fresh gastronomy and local nature.
Love for local and organic production
Climate change and a lack of rain is concerning with regard to the Ibizan landscape and its cultivated fields. The most notorious result of this situation is the loss of the cereal crop. This is a problem that affects the whole of the Mediterranean and is leading to the substitution of traditional crops for others that can withstand the current climate, and the adaptation of the growing seasons as almost nothing can withstand the summer.
The good news is that Ibiza has a large network of farmers and producers who work every day to defend and preserve the purity and authentic flavor of the island, reconnecting with the land and the sea. Organic production from the primary sector has also seen an upward trend in recent years, tripling in a decade.
The return to the land in recent years has resulted in Ibiza’s ecological area growing by more than 100 hectares in 2023. In addition, projects such as Terra Masia, Terra Viva and Juntos are betting on regenerative agriculture, a system whose main objective is to regenerate the soil to make it healthy, sustainable and of higher nutritional quality. But there is still some way to go.
The generational transfer of the land
In order to continue with the recovery and preservation of the Ibizan landscape, the generational handover must be carried out with care. On some farms, such as Tierra de Ibiza, this changeover has already begun and, although they are few in number, the young people who are taking the reins are notable for their ongoing learning approach, not to mention the experience they bring from the previous generations behind them.
Thanks to these farmers, many of the native fruit and vegetable varieties still survive. The work of the consumer is essential: buying local ingredients also supports sustai- nable development; if there is income, the workers on the land will support themselves and use the fields to produce food. By buying zero-kilometer food we are helping to preserve and even create sustainable employment in our environment.
The luxury of being able to consume local products
Before the advent of commercial varieties in the 1960s, farmers selected and saved crop seeds based on taste and adaptation to climate and soil. At present, seed banks allow for the conservation of traditional varieties such as the red potato and onion and the hanging tomato, which are the basis of traditional Ibizan cuisine – which is not to forget the fish and seafood, which also feature significantly in typical dishes such as Borrida de rajada (ray stew) or Bullit de peix (fish stew).
Thanks to the work of organic farms, such as Can Zol Ibiza or Ca Na Carla, and estates, such as Organic Farm Ibiza or Finca Can Martí, we can enjoy the best ingredients at home and in restaurants. Fortunately, more and more chefs are making their dishes with healthier and tastier raw materials sourced from local and seasonal producers. Eating green and local produce also reduces greenhouse gases, since transporting products from distant locations contributes to CO2 emissions.
With the aim of raising awareness of these spaces, Ibiza Preservation – a non-profit foundation that promotes the conservation and recovery of the exceptional natural heritage of Ibiza and Formentera – has prepared an essential guide to local producers on the island, aimed at facilitating purchases from farms and orchards, or pointing people toward the nearest local food market, such as Mercat de Forada, Mercat Nou and Mercado de Sant Antoni de Portmany, to mention a few. Will you be signing up to this luxury local life?
