During the summer months, the flourishing Vinalopó Valley with its acres and acres of vineyards is dominated by the sight of hanging paper bags in which grapes are slowly ripening.

This curious technique came about at the beginning of the 20th century when the vines of Alicante were being destroyed by a plague. A farmer came up with the idea of protecting the grape bunches by bagging them on the vines – a technique that proved effective not just because it protects the grapes from diseases, crop spraying and harsh weather, but also significantly improved their flavour. While shielded inside the bag, the grapes develop a softer and more delicate skin, with even colouring. The delay in ripening also produces resveratrol, a substance that helps prevent cancer and heart diseases, according to research by scientists at the University of Illinois and the Complutense University of Madrid.

Because of this, the grapes grown in the Vinalopó Valley have been awarded European Protected Variety status.

The only issue slightly clouding this success is the absence of EU subsidies, according to Luis González Navarro, director of Table Grapes of Vinalopó Valley. “We haven’t received any payments since 2010, despite the fact that they have been authorised.”

Meanwhile, Valencian citrus growers, specifically producers of Nadorcott, have taken drastic measures to enhance the value of their fruit. The not-for-profit Club de Variedades Vegetales Protegidas (‘Club of Protected Varieties’) was founded in 2008 by distributors of Nadorcott in order to prevent illegal production of the citrus variety.

The club is open to all Nadorcott growers and operates throughout the value chain. “What we sell is the know-how,” explains Reyes Moratal Abeijón. “The growers have the piece of mind that we look after everything. We have the infrastructure to manage it and legally we led the way.”

The organisation has had to fight hard to establish its legal boundaries and call itself a ‘judicial pioneer’. “We have had many enemies but so far no one has been able to prove us wrong, which has opened many doors. Saying that, we have chosen to take one step at a time and not make too much noise,” says Moratal Abeijón.

It’s not that other easy peelers are of lesser quality, she insists – they have simply been devalued and lost their exclusivity. “Four or five years ago Nadorcott was unrivalled due to its quality and price, but before we began licensing it, it was losing its value at the speed of light.”

Licensing is the future of agriculture, believes Moratal Abeijón. She makes a comparison with the music industry, which has experienced its own set of problems regarding copyright. “Spain is a very important player in agriculture but one issue that needs to be ironed out is commercialisation. We have managed to get people’s attention and to be taken more seriously, but it takes time to change people’s mindsets.” —