Inside Helen Mirren’s Fight to Save 1,500-Year-Old Olive Trees In Italy, Where She Owns a 16th-Century Home (Exclusive)

Dame Helen Mirren, the acclaimed actress known for her roles in film and theatre, is passionately dedicating her efforts to a unique cause – saving Italy’s ancient olive trees from an invasive bacterium that threatens to wipe them out. For nearly ten years, the Oscar winner has actively campaigned to combat the spread of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium responsible for decimating olive populations across the region of Puglia, where she and her husband, Taylor Hackford, own a 16th-century farmhouse.

Xylella was first detected in Southern Italy in 2013 and has since devastated roughly 22 million olive trees, as reported by numerous sources. This crisis has significant implications not just for Italy’s landscape, but also for its economy and cultural heritage. Mirren, who is now 81, has made it a personal mission to raise awareness about the ongoing threat to these trees, some of which have been growing for over a millennium.

Reflecting on the situation, Mirren expressed frustration at the widespread ignorance surrounding the crisis. “It’s amazing how people want to put on blinkers and pretend it’s not happening,” she commented in a recent interview with PEOPLE. The actress’s commitment to the cause led her to co-found Save the Olives, an initiative aimed at tackling the severe challenges posed by the bacterium. “We’re fighting to save thousand-year-old trees,” she emphasised.

Mirren and Hackford purchased their Puglian farmhouse in 2007, and their idyllic life in the Italian countryside became entwined with the fate of the olive trees when Xylella’s presence loomed merely 40 miles away from their home. Initially, they, like many others, believed the threat to be distant. “We thought, ‘Oh, it won’t come to us.’ And it did. It killed all of the trees,” she recalled. This invasive species is believed to have entered Italy via a coffee plant imported from Costa Rica.

In response to the crisis, Save the Olives was established as a platform for disseminating accurate information and combating misinformation that often accompanies such environmental disasters. “We started Save the Olives just as a way of getting information out there,” Mirren explained, highlighting the need for public awareness about the potentially catastrophic loss of these historic trees.

The organisation invites individuals to take an active role in conservation efforts by adopting an endangered olive tree for a donation of €500, equivalent to approximately $560. This contribution supports the grafting process of disease-resistant varieties onto at-risk trees, thereby providing a fighting chance for their survival. Donors have the opportunity to name their adopted tree and receive updates and photographs, fostering a deeper connection to this vital cause.

Beyond preservation, Mirren and her team are also focused on developing new olive tree species that are resilient and capable of producing high-quality olive oil. “Producing oil is one of Italy’s major economic activities,” she noted, underscoring the substantial economic consequences tied to the decline of olive production. Reports from the World Bank indicate that the economic damage incurred from the devastation of these trees has reached billions of euros, affecting livelihoods and local economies.

Despite the daunting challenges posed by Xylella, Mirren remains hopeful that concerted efforts can avert further destruction. She candidly describes olive trees as “one of the most miraculous things on this planet,” encouraging more people to join the cause. Her personal passion for olives, coupled with a strong sense of responsibility for the environment and cultural heritage, fuels her ongoing commitment to Save the Olives.

As the fight against Xylella continues, Mirren’s endeavours shine a light on the importance of preserving not just the trees themselves but the rich historical and cultural narratives they embody. Through Save the Olives, she advocates for a collective consciousness to protect nature and the traditions that are intertwined with it, urging everyone to take action while there is still time.