For centuries the harvest of carob had been a crucial element for the survival of the population on Ibiza. It was the principal source of livestock feed, but with the advent of tourism the need for carob diminished to a trickle. Most of the island’s many algarroba trees went untended and the carobs rotted on the ground. But in recent years that has begun to change as this humble fruit has become more commercially desirable. It is now a fashionable food additive that is used as a natural thickener and as a substitute for cocoa. This of course has raised the price and thus stimulated the harvest of this venerable bean on Ibiza.

Production has tripled over the past two years and most of this new harvest is exported to the mainland. However, the local market is also buying more carob and the company Frutos Secos Ibiza plans to keep 20 tons this year for the production of carob syrup. The Greenheart Ecological Centre at Casita Verde was one of the first to promote the use of carobs on Ibiza, and they have been producing a line of carob products for several years. These products are made with the carob bean, which is the most valuable part of the fruit. Basic economics tells us that if the prices continue to rise then the harvest of carobs on Ibiza will become even more widespread.