Croatia's truffle hunters seek habitat protection amid climate change

Motovun

THE sound of paws scurrying along the forest floor echoes through Croatia's northwestern woods, where the hunt for truffles is being threatened by climate change and deforestation - stirring fears that the country's gastronomic goldmine may be at risk.

The delicate microclimate in the picturesque Istria peninsula's forests has long been famed for producing some of the finest white truffles, which this year fetched up to 2,500 euros (S$3,833) per kg.

But the increase in temperatures and lower precipitation levels linked to climate change along with a shrinking water table and habitat loss could throw off the natural incubator that produces the luxurious ingredient.

"It's more difficult to find a truffle than to sell it," laments Darko Muzica, who oversees the Istra association of truffle hunters, an advocacy group campaigning to protect the peninsula's white truffle.

Along with climate change and diminishing water tables, he says poor forest management has also threatened future harvests, with officials giving preferential treatment to the timber industry.

Truffle enthusiasts say immediate action is needed to protect the area's habitat.

Fears over the truffle's future in Istria comes on the heels of a decades-long love affair with the culinary delight in Croatia.

With money to be made, truffle hunters, accompanied by teams of specially trained dogs, comb through Istria's dense, lowland forests near Motovun hoping to strike white gold.

"Search! Search!" shouts forest scientist Zeljko Zgrablic as his 2 dogs paw at the ground near a suspected bulb. After digging away a layer of topsoil, he carefully extracts a white truffle weighing some 20 g - which could net up to 130 euros.

It is a typical scene during Istria's white truffle season that runs from September to late December, attracting a wide swath of afficionados ranging from weekend warriors to locals hoping to pocket extra cash.

Istria remains one of the few areas outside of Italy's famed Alba region able to produce high-end white truffles thanks to its humid climate and alkaline soil that imbues the edible fungi with a strong aroma and optimal density.

The first written reference to truffles in Istria dates back to the late 1920s, when the peninsula was then part of Italy. But the industry has gone into overdrive in the past 2 decades, with the sector netting millions of dollars annually - spurring Istria to rebrand itself as "truffle land". The truffle rush started after the discovery of a bulb weighing 1.31 kg that was listed for a time in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Hoping to protect the area's lucrative truffle trade, the local association of truffle hunters has begun campaigning for "protected designation of origin" within the European Union.

If granted, it says the certification would help provide better management of the region's forests by eliminating their "irrational devastation", while also guaranteeing the truffle's authenticity and helping raise awareness for preservation efforts. AFP