Months in the province of Jaén Spain the rains stopped, local crops were badly damaged. Many olive growers even participate in religious processions, as in France, led by the local bishop, Sebastian Chico, pleading for more rain. Now consumers are feeling the hardest hit on farmers: olive oil prices are skyrocketing, and if it doesn’t rain soon, they are expected to rise even more.

“Without water, there are no olives. And the province suffers without olives,” says Bishop Tsiko. “Our economy depends on olive production.” With 66 million olive trees growing in the hills of Jaén, the province is the most important olive producing region in the world, producing a significant proportion of the olive oil consumed in Europe.

The local flora is suffering.

But weather forecasts are disappointing. The water shortage in Spain, which has serious consequences for the entire Spanish agriculture, is likely to last until autumn, when rainfall is expected to increase. In addition, environmental researchers warn that in the long term, Spain will have to adapt to higher temperatures and reduced rainfall.