The advance of Xylella fastidiosa in Apulia is relentless, destroying often-ancient olive trees in this southern Italian region.
The bacterium has ravaged the economy and countryside here since arriving in 2013. To survive, local olive oil producers are forced to import their olives from other so-far unaffected Italian regions, or even abroad. There is no cure for the insect-borne disease, but the discovery of resistant olive varieties has offered a glimmer of hope.
