The Carob and Fig Economy

19th century

Before tourism transformed the Algarve's economy in the second half of the 20th century, the region's prosperity depended heavily on agriculture, and in particular on the cultivation of carob, figs and almonds. These three crops, all well suited to the Algarve's hot, dry summers and thin limestone soils, formed the basis of a rural economy that sustained the region's population for centuries and reached its peak importance during the 19th century.

The carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua, is a hardy evergreen that thrives in the poor soils and minimal rainfall of the Algarve's interior. The tree produces long, dark brown pods that are rich in natural sugars and have a wide range of uses. In the 19th century, carob was used primarily as animal feed, as a raw material for the production of industrial gums and syrups, and as a human food in times of scarcity. The seeds, remarkably uniform in size and weight, were historically used as a unit of measurement for precious stones, giving us the word 'carat'.

The Algarve became one of the world's leading producers of carob, with extensive orchards covering the hillsides of the barrocal, the limestone zone between the coast and the mountainous serra. The harvest took place in late summer and autumn, with the pods being collected by hand, dried and stored before being sold to merchants who exported them to markets across Europe and beyond. Carob processing factories, where the pods were ground and the seeds separated, operated in several Algarve towns.

Fig cultivation was equally important. The Algarve's warm climate and long growing season produced figs of exceptional quality, and dried figs were a major export commodity throughout the 19th century and into the 20th. The fig harvest in August and September was a communal event, with entire families working together to pick, dry and pack the fruit. Dried figs were pressed into decorative shapes, stuffed with almonds and exported in wooden boxes to markets in Britain, Germany, France and the Americas.

Almond orchards completed the triad. The almond trees that flower across the Algarve in January and February, covering the hillsides in white and pink blossom, are the descendants of trees planted during the Moorish period and expanded through subsequent centuries. Almonds were used in confectionery, particularly in the production of marzipan and the traditional Algarve sweets made from almond paste, eggs and sugar that remain popular today.

The combined income from carob, figs and almonds supported a rural society that, while never wealthy by European standards, was self-sustaining and deeply rooted in the rhythms of the agricultural year. The landscape of the barrocal, with its terraced hillsides, dry-stone walls and scattered farmhouses surrounded by orchards, is the physical expression of this agrarian economy.

The decline of the traditional agricultural economy began in the mid-20th century, driven by rural depopulation, the attraction of better-paid work in the growing tourism sector and competition from cheaper producers elsewhere. Many orchards were abandoned, and the terraces fell into disrepair. However, recent years have seen a revival of interest in these traditional crops, driven by the growing market for organic and artisanal products. Carob is now valued as a healthy alternative to chocolate, fig products command premium prices, and Algarve almonds are increasingly marketed as a gourmet ingredient.

Impact

Though tourism has eclipsed traditional agriculture, recent revival of interest in artisanal and organic products is breathing new life into these historic crops.