César Salamanca
Location: Palma Del Río, Córdoba
Products: Oranges
The fertile valley of Guadalquivir, near Córdoba has been renowned since the time of the Moors for its cultivation of orange trees. Today it is mainly dominated by large industrial farms, working in a conventional way.
In 2003 two brothers, César and Juan, decided to transform a small third-generation family farm into organic production based on agro-ecological principles. Juan completed his thesis on the agro-ecological culture of oranges, and both brothers were long-time advocates for agro-ecology and independent food movements.
César cultivates four varieties of orange trees. They were planted by his grandfather 60 years ago and he is proud to continue this rich genetic history. He firmly believes in the link between farmers and customers, selling most of his oranges directly to individual customers and buying groups in Andalusia. He also opens his farm to anyone wishing to visit it and become familiar with the agro-ecological principles he puts into practice.
“It’s asking what can be done in a different way, based on mutual trust and respect, by a responsible farmer looking for a quality product with the end consumer in mind.”
