How does the type of agriculture practiced influence the taste, nutrition of our food, and consequently our health?

In today's world, knowing what to eat tremendously influences our choice of certain foods produced in specific agricultural systems. Due to the expansion of hyper-intensive agriculture types, the quality of food from this type of agriculture is no longer as nutritional and doesn't have as pleasant a taste as food produced using agroecological techniques. According to scientific studies, the quality of soils and their respective microbiomes is essential for obtaining nutritious and flavorful foods. In mono-intensive agriculture, the microbiome and the corresponding soil take a back seat due to the intensive application of cultural practices, pesticides, and a lack of biodiversity. Now, since this community of microbes (fungi, bacteria, protozoa, etc.) is related to nutrient production, and if it is weakened through unnatural agricultural practices, the produced food will obviously be affected.

The difference between our olive oil and the oils coming from mono-intensive agriculture is quite large. Our olives are grown organically and naturally, without any chemicals including pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers. We try to make agriculture as wild as possible to enrich the soil microbiome, and as a result, we get very tasty and concentrated olives . Instead, in a mono-intensive olive grove, the concept of biodiversity is relegated to the background, and all chemicals used will damage the entire soil microbiome, affecting the taste and the nutritional quality of the olives.

The search for aesthetic beauty in agriculture can be a dangerous path. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to visit various farms and meet farmers from around the world. During these visits, when I engage in conversations, I always try to learn something new from them. In many situations, I indeed learn, while in others, it seems to be the other way around. However, I've noticed a recurring pattern of thought that is generally more or less constant. Farmers tend to practice agriculture under an aesthetic mold, meaning many of their decisions are guided by projecting some ideal of beauty. If the grass is too tall, it must be cut because otherwise, it looks ugly. If the vine shoots are too long, they must be pruned entirely, or else it appears disorganized and, therefore, ugly. If there is vegetative material on the ground covering the soil, it must be removed from the base of the trees, or else the neighbor will say it looks ugly. Unfortunately, this concept of "looks ugly" is the most common idea in rural areas. There is always this inclination to treat cultivated fields as if they were the Gardens of Versailles. Nothing could be more wrong.