One of the standout features of Lanzarote is the quality of the produce that comes from its soil. Sweet potatoes and watermelons are prime examples of how dryland farming can yield exceptional flavour, all thanks to the jable and rofe, which act as insulation by retaining the moisture from the scarce rainfall on the island.
Jable is a type of organic marine sand formed over time from the crushing of shells and calcareous algae. Its presence in Lanzarote is abundant, so much so that there is an area known as El Jable, which is a site of high ecological value that spans the island from Famara to Playa Honda.
Traditional agriculture, which has been practised in Lanzarote for generations, is predominantly dryland farming, as the island receives an average of 115 litres of rain per square metre annually.
In this context, Ascensión Robayna, a farmer and collaborator at the Agricultural Transformation Society (SAT) ‘El Jable’, explains that “nowadays, in dryland farming, and adhering to such traditional cultivation methods, the agriculture taking place is minimal because it hasn’t rained.”
“The resources needed to cultivate the renowned sweet potatoes and watermelons require some rain, and in addition, we need to provide some water. We must question whether these products are truly produced entirely by dryland methods. It’s not about creating irrigated agriculture but about assisting to simulate a natural environment that we once had, so we can continue conserving the soils,” Robayna continues.
A Unique Soil
The fields in Lanzarote are covered with rofe or jable, but beneath the varied topography, the type of soil found is the bermeja, which is fertile and cultivable. “The soils are sheltered; that is the secret of Lanzarote,” states Robayna. This allows the little moisture that exists to be preserved, maintaining fertility.
Indeed, as the farmer recounts, “when climate change is discussed, it is often in terms of covering the soils, and we have that quality in agriculture because it is made possible by the protection the soils provide.”
She explains, “Given Lanzarote’s proximity to Africa, the low rainfall, and the winds, no one in their right mind would assert that we can produce anything, not even grapes. However, the island’s farmers soon realised that productivity increased in the land that had been naturally sandy.”
Additionally, agricultural engineer Teno Osorio explains that the soil of Lanzarote “is like a cake; the top layer is made up of jable and the layer below is clay; the more jable there is, the greater its capacity to store water.” In the past, he continues, “farmers dug samples of the soil, and when they found sufficient moisture, they would plant. Moreover, to ensure the soil rested and collected rain over several years, they left fallow land.”
At SAT El Jable, they focus on promoting organic farming, which is vital for Lanzarote’s soils. “In the case of such a dry island, there is a problem: when chemical products are used, they remain in the soil and do not wash away. In rainy regions, the soils can be washed, but here they cannot, which leads us to realise that the future lies in organic farming,” she asserts.
A Unique Flavour through Dryland Cultivation
The extraordinary flavour of the well-known ‘Soo watermelons’, melons, sweet potatoes, or grapes is attributed to this dryland farming, which intensifies the flavours of the vegetables and fruits. “A watered grape or sweet potato carries a lot of water, resulting in lesser quality. When everything is concentrated due to minimal rain, it translates to flavour,” she explains.
However, to enhance the quality of the products good-quality water is necessary, ensuring it does not negatively affect the soil and is used rationally. “Very little is needed, just enough to mimic the amount of rain that used to fall in Lanzarote, which has not been reached in recent years,” Ascensión Robayna details.
Given the importance and uniqueness of Lanzarote’s cultivation systems, the island received recognition in May of this year as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, which highlights the island’s three ancestral agricultural systems: the natural sand cultivation of La Geria, the artificial sand cultivation of the north, and the cultivation on organic sands of Jable. All demonstrate local knowledge and human adaptation to an environment characterised by extreme climatic conditions, marked by water scarcity and trade winds.
The Most Coveted Soo Watermelon
In the case of watermelon, the variety currently grown, especially in the Soo area, is the Pata Negra, although a variety known as ‘muscatel watermelon’ was cultivated in the past. It is a fruit shaped like a cucumber, with very large black seeds and contains air pockets inside. Despite its exceptionally sweet flavour, “commercially it is not the most appealing, as people tend to seek out the roundest watermelon at the supermarket, meaning it is not the most visually attractive,” notes the engineer.
Decades ago, watermelon was cultivated using dryland methods, but climate change has led to a decrease in rainfall in Lanzarote. Conversely, sweet potatoes require less water than watermelons. “Without irrigation, cultivation is impossible because there are farmers who grow watermelons and have faced water shortages for two or three weeks, losing their entire crop,” Osorio explains.
The success of this fruit has led to new plantations emerging in other areas of the island apart from Soo. “There is a farmer in Guatiza who is producing watermelons that are becoming serious rivals to those from Soo, while farmers in Tinajo are also cultivating them organically in sandy soil, and they are spectacular,” he reveals.
Additionally, one of the standout qualities of Lanzarote, as noted by Teno Osorio, is the number of sunlight hours, which allows plants to perform extensive photosynthesis. “This causes the plant to convert the nutrients it absorbs into sugars, resulting in that distinctive and characteristic flavour,” he concludes.
