QUERAT Operational Group: Innovative solutions to consolidate the carob tree as a high-value crop in Andalusia

The carob tree is a species native to the Middle East, cultivated since ancient times in most countries of the Mediterranean basin. Thanks to its tolerance to varying rainfall and soil conditions, its cultivation has spread to other regions, allowing for the emergence of numerous cultivars with a wide range of morphological and agronomic characteristics. The carob tree's current status in Andalusia is that of a minority crop, in need of a modernization process that highlights the work carried out to identify and characterize the different cultivars. Due to its characteristics, the carob tree represents a highly environmentally important crop alternative, addressing the problems of desertification and climate change, and with high potential for economic appreciation.

It is essential to make available to farmers, through their marketing in nurseries, varieties adapted to different environmental and growing conditions. This will increase producers' profits while also responding to emerging consumer demands, thanks to the numerous nutritional applications and functional and nutraceutical qualities of products obtained from the different parts of the carob tree, which have yet to be valorized. Andalusia also has a significant area of mature plantations, part of the Agricultural Land Reforestation Plan, which require action for their productive use and the promotion of industries for their processing.