Nine Italian researchers accused of negligence in olive tree deaths

Nine Italian researchers and a public official, who were working to control the spread of a deadly bacterium that kills olive trees, have been accused of worsening the transmission of the pathogen and are under investigation.

In 2013, olive groves in Puglia, Italy, began to be ravaged by a disease that caused the death of olive trees. Researchers identified the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa to be the causative agent, which has no known cure. As per the European Union rules, Italy commissioned a containment plan to ensure that the healthy trees are protected, the diseased trees are destroyed, and the disease does not spread to other European Union countries. As part of the containment plan, the accused researchers ordered the culling of affected trees and some healthy trees as well with the intent of creating buffer zones.

However, the farmers in affected areas protested the researchers’ methods and sought legal help. Eventually, Italian prosecutors intervened; and on December 18, ordered the disease control measures to be halted and announced that the 10 involved individuals would be investigated for “negligent spreading of the plant disease, presenting false information and materials to officials, environmental pollution and disfiguring natural beauty.”¹ According to the prosecutors, “too little is understood about the science of the disease to justify such measures.”² The prosecutors have also raised concerns that the deadly pathogen may have reached Italy after it was imported from California to the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, and may then have spread into the environment.    

Donato Boscia, head of the Bari unit of Italy’s Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, who is one of the accused, says “We are shocked. The accusations are crazy.”³

Incidentally, the European Commission has begun an infringement procedure as Italy failed to execute the containment plan as per the timelines. Commission spokesman Enrico Brivio states that the pathogen is dangerous to many plants apart from olive trees, and that “The emergency measures are necessary and need to be implemented.”⁴ Italy, on the other hand, has halted the plan entirely. Considering the complexity of the case, more developments can be expected in the weeks to come.

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References:

1,2,3,4 Italian scientists under investigation after olive-tree deaths (accessed on December 23)

Researchers Accused of Spreading Disease (accessed on December 23)