Beyond Xylella: Four Years of Scientific Solutions and Community Voices | Final Project Documentary

In October 2013, Xylella fastidiosa—one of the world's most devastating plant pathogens—was detected in Europe for the first time, silently affecting olive groves in Apulia, southern Italy. A few years later, further outbreaks on almond trees in Alicante, Spain, brought similar economic and social disruption to Mediterranean communities. This final documentary marks the conclusion of the EU-funded BeXyl Project (Beyond Xylella), bringing together crucial testimonies, scientific achievements, and collaborative field strategies gathered over four years of intensive research and action. It explores the complex journey of managing this agricultural crisis over the past ten years, highlighting the initial community shock and the transition from emergency response to sustainable co-existence. Through this comprehensive video, researchers, public authorities, plant nursery professionals, and agricultural entrepreneurs share their experiences on the front lines. From pioneering early detection methods—such as sniffing dogs—to mapping genomic resistance in olive cultivars and establishing a global network of Sentinel Plots, science is providing concrete operational tools to rebuild affected territories and safeguard European agroecosystems. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101060593.