Partner: University of La Laguna (ULL)
The Güímar Valley is a sparsely populated, highly agrarian area of Tenerife where most people are employed in smallholder tropical fruit farming. The region produces several high value, highly pollinator-dependent crops, most notably avocado, which has expanded considerably in recent years, mangos and pitaya for global fruit markets, and moringa and aloe for medicinal markets. Besides agriculture, the valley includes rare mediterranean scrub, as well as laurel forests and there are two Natura 2000 sites: Malpaís de Güímar (ES7020048) and Corona Forestal (ES7020054), as well as a regional protected area: Siete Lomas, which support numerous endemic plants and pollinators, including several endangered species, and vertebrate pollinators such as birds and reptiles.
Key challenge: VALOR will work with local farmers in the Coplaca cooperative and Canary Islands Avocado Growers Association (Asguacan) and Natura2000 site managers, building upon existing collaborations in the FRUTTMAC and POLINISLA projects, to address concerns about the long term resilience of farming to potential pollinator shifts, and the impact of competition for pollinators on wider biodiversity.