>> Sreenivasan: ITALIAN OLIVE
OIL HAS A WORLDWIDE REPUTATION
FOR QUALITY, BUT ITS QUANTITY
IS IN SHARP DECLINE.
THAT'S BECAUSE OF A SCOURGE
THAT'S ATTACKING OLIVE TREES IN
A REGION THAT TRADITIONALLY
PRODUCES ROUGHLY 40% OF ITALY'S
OIL.
IT'S GOTTEN SO BAD THAT, FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, ITALY HAS
BEGUN IMPORTING OLIVE OIL FOR
ITS OWN CONSUMPTION.
NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT CHRISTOPHER
LIVESAY AND VIDEOGRAPHER
ALEXANDRA PAVONE TRAVELED TO
GROUND ZERO OF THE EPIDEMIC TO
BRING US THIS REPORT.
>> AS YOU CAN SEE, HE'S GOT SOME
BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL OLD TREES.
>> Reporter: OLIVE TREES HAVE
SUSTAINED LOCALS IN THE SOUTHERN
ITALIAN REGION OF PUGLIA FOR
CENTURIES.
>> TREES, I WOULD IMAGINE
THEY'RE PROBABLY 400, 500 YEARS
OLD.
>> Reporter: WOW.
THEY ALSO INSPIRE PART-TIMERS
LIKE ACTOR HELEN MIRREN.
OLIVE TREES DEFINE THE LANDSCAPE
OUTSIDE HER SUMMER HOME.
>> THEY'RE, LIKE, POWERFUL AND
IMPOSING, AND-- AND YOU JUST
FEEL THEIR HISTORY.
AND YOU THINK, "OH, MY GOD, THIS
TREE WAS HERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN
HENRY-- HENRY VIII WAS ALIVE,
ELIZABETH I."
>> Reporter: THEY BROUGHT YOU
HERE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST SAW THESE
TREES, I WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY
BLOWN AWAY.
>> Reporter: BUT NOW, PUGLIA'S
OLIVE TREES ARE AT RISK FROM AN
EPIDEMIC DISEASE, XYLELLA
FASTIDIOSA, SWEEPING THROUGH THE
REGION, AND MIRREN IS SOUNDING
THE ALARM.
>> AND NOW, IT'S REALLY, REALLY
ON THE MOVE, AND IT'S
TERRIFYING.
SO, YES, IT BASICALLY DRIES THE
TREE OUT FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
IT JUST LOOKS SO SAD, DOESN'T
IT?
AND-- AND THIS IS WHAT THE WHOLE
LANDSCAPE MIGHT END UP LOOKING
LIKE, POPULATED BY GHOSTS OF--
OF HISTORY.
>> Reporter: XYLELLA FASTIDIOSA
CAUSES LEAVES TO TURN BROWN AND
BRITTLE AROUND THE EDGES.
EVENTUALLY, WHOLE ORCHARDS
SHRIVEL AND DIE.
THE DISEASE HAS SPREAD ACROSS
THE SALENTO REGION, THE HEEL OF
ITALY'S BOOT, AT THE RATE OF 20
MILES PER YEAR AND NOW COVERS
3,000 SQUARE MILES.
WHEN IT FIRST SURFACED IN 2013,
FARMERS WERE BEWILDERED.
WAS IT A FUNGUS?
A RESULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
AND HOW BAD COULD IT GET?
TO FIND OUT, WE'VE COME TO
ITALY'S NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER
IN PUGLIA.
SO, WHAT IS THIS?
>> THESE ARE SAMPLES.
>> Reporter: IT WAS HERE THAT
MARIA SAPONARI AND OTHER
SCIENTISTS FIRST IDENTIFIED THE
OUTBREAK SIX YEARS AGO AS A
BACTERIA.
IT PREYS ON THE TREE'S LYMPH,
WHICH PROVIDES WATER AND
NUTRIENTS TO ITS LEAVES.
SO, THE BACTERIA, IT'S-- IT'S
KIND OF CHOKING THESE-- THESE
TREES...
>> YES, EXACTLY.
>> Reporter: ...FROM THEIR
WATER.
>> YES, EXACTLY.
>> Reporter: BUT IT CAN'T SPREAD
ON ITS OWN.
>> SO, I'M REMOVING THE-- THE
HEAD.
>> Reporter: YOU'RE
DECAPITATING THE SPITTLEBUG?
>> EXACTLY, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE
CARRYING THE BACTERIUM, THIS
WILL BE IN THE HEAD OF THE-- OF
THE INSECT.
>> Reporter: IT'S CALLED A
SPITTLEBUG, AND IT FEEDS ON
OLIVE TREE TISSUE.
THIS TINY LITTLE BUG IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR SPREADING THIS--
THIS PLAGUE.
>> WITHOUT THE-- THE INSECT, THE
BACTERIUM CANNOT MOVE FROM ONE
PLANT TO ANOTHER PLANT.
>> Reporter: THE SPITTLEBUG CAN
CARRY THE DISEASE FOR HUNDREDS
OF YARDS EVERY SEASON, SAYS
SCIENTIST DONATO BOCCIA.
>> Reporter: SO FAR, SOME 25
MILLION TREES ARE EITHER DEAD OR
DOOMED, HE SAYS.
THAT'S MEANT CURTAINS FOR
THOUSANDS OF FAMILY FARMS THAT
HAVE BEEN HERE FOR
GENERATIONS...
>> ( translated ): THESE ARE THE
TREES OF MY FATHER AND MY
GRANDFATHER.
>> Reporter: ...FARMS LIKE ENZO
MANNI'S.
>> ( translated ): FOR ME, IT
WAS A JOY TO COME HERE WITH MY
WIFE AND KIDS WHEN THEY WERE
LITTLE AND GROWING UP.
I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD HERE.
DURING THE HARVEST, SCHOOLS LET
STUDENTS OUT SO THEY COULD HELP
PICK OLIVES.
THE SMALL KIDS LIKE US WOULD
CLIMB THE TALL BRANCHES TO GET
THE LAST OLIVES.
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
>> Reporter: WHAT ABOUT YOUR
CHILDREN AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
IN YOUR FAMILY?
>> ( translated ): IT HURTS
MY HEART TO THINK ABOUT THAT
BECAUSE IT'S AS IF I DIDN'T DO
EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO ALLOW
THEM TO ENJOY THE SAME BEAUTY.
>> Reporter: MANNI AND HIS SON,
FEDERICO, TAKE ME TO THEIR
SHUTTERED OLIVE MILL.
SO, YOU USED TO KEEP OLIVES IN
HERE?
>> Reporter: TODAY, IT'S LITTLE
MORE THAN A WAREHOUSE FOR RUSTY
EQUIPMENT, ONE OF HUNDREDS OF
MILLS THAT HAVE CLOSED IN THE
SURROUNDING SALENTO AREA, THE
PART OF PUGLIA HIT HARDEST BY
THE OUTBREAK.
>> Reporter: WAIT A MINUTE.
YOU'VE GONE FROM 500 OIL MILLS
TO JUST 15?
>> Reporter: WHEN?
>> Reporter: BUT THE MANNI
FAMILY ISN'T GOING DOWN WITHOUT
A FIGHT.
THEY RUN A CO-OP THAT HELPS
FARMERS POOL RESOURCES AND
EXPLORE NEW CROPS THAT AREN'T
AFFLICTED BY THE BACTERIA.
SO, YOU'RE PROCESSING POTATOES
HERE?
>> YEAH.
>> Reporter: IN TIME, HE HOPES
THAT FARMERS WILL ALSO EMBRACE
GRAPE CULTIVATION FOR WINE.
THAT, OR POTATOES, AND OTHER
TUBERS.
IT WILL REQUIRE UPROOTING AND
BURNING MILLIONS OF DEAD AND
DISEASED TREES IN ABANDONED
GROVES LIKE THIS ONE.
TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THE
CLIMATE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN IS
GETTING WARMER AS XYLELLA
SPREADS.
>> Reporter: THAT'S BECAUSE IT
MAKES THE LOCAL HABITAT MORE
PRONE TO SPITTLEBUG
REPRODUCTION, AND THE DISEASE IS
NOT LIMITED TO SOUTHERN ITALY.
EVIDENCE OF IT HAS BEEN
DISCOVERED IN SPAIN, FRANCE,
PORTUGAL, AND PARTS OF THE
MIDDLE EAST.
AND SPITTLEBUGS MIGHT NOT BE THE
ONLY PROBLEM.
SCIENTISTS ARE STUDYING
WORRISOME SIGNS THAT CICADAS,
LIKE THOSE CHIRPING AROUND US,
MIGHT ALSO BE CARRIERS.
AND WHY IS THAT DANGEROUS?
>> Reporter: AND THAT'S MUCH
FURTHER THAN THE SPITTLEBUG?
>> Reporter: IF THIS IS A WAR
AGAINST AN EPIDEMIC, WHO'S
WINNING THE WAR?
>> Reporter: ONE REASON TO HOPE,
BOCCIA SAYS, IS THAT THE DISEASE
MAY BE REACHING ITS NATURAL
LIMITATIONS.
EVEN WITH A WARMING CLIMATE, IT
STILL GETS COOLER FARTHER NORTH,
SOMETHING THE SPITTLEBUG AND
DISEASE DON'T LIKE.
ANOTHER IS THAT WHILE THE
GOVERNMENT WAS INITIALLY SLOW TO
ACT, IT HAS NOW CHOPPED DOWN
THOUSANDS OF TREES, CREATING A
BUFFER ZONE TO PREVENT FURTHER
CONTAGION.
AND SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING
AROUND THE CLOCK, STUDYING THE
DISEASE, SEARCHING FOR A CURE.
>> THEN, WE CAN CHECK IF THIS
D.N.A. CONTAINS XYLELLA OR NOT.
>> Reporter: OKAY.
ONE PROMISING LEAD: GRAFTING.
SCIENTISTS HAVE IDENTIFIED TWO
SPECIES OF OLIVE TREE THAT
APPEAR TO BE RESISTANT TO
XYELLELA.
TAKING DONOR BARK FROM A
RESISTANT TREE, FARMERS ATTACH
IT TO AN AFFLICTED TRUNK, AND,
IF SUCCESSFUL, EFFECTIVELY BRING
THE TREE BACK TO LIFE.
>> IN THIS ORCHARD, WE HAVE-- WE
HAVE GRAFTED ALL OF THE TREES
WITH A SPECIES CALLED LECINO
THAT IS MORE RESISTANT TO
XYLELLA.
>> Reporter: CAN YOU SHOW ME?
>> YES!
YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I CAN SEE ONE RIGHT HERE, LOOK.
THIS IS THE GRAFTING.
OH, LOOK, THIS ONE'S GROWING!
LOOK!
>> Reporter: OH, WOW.
>> OH, MY GOD, THAT'S THE FIRST
ONE I'VE SEEN GROWING.
THAT'S FANTASTIC!
OH, I MUST CALL THEM UP AND TELL
THEM.
THAT'S AMAZING!
THIS IS THE FUTURE OF THIS TREE.
IF-- IF THIS TREE IS TO HAVE A
FUTURE, THERE IT IS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THE TREES
WILL BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THIS
KIND OF NEW GROWTH AS THE REST
OF IT DIES BACK IS A QUESTION.
AND IT'S A QUESTION-- REALLY, AT
THE MOMENT, AS FAR AS I CAN MAKE
OUT-- NOBODY KNOWS THE ANSWER
TO.
