The volcanic eruption on La Palma began on the 19th of September 2021 – two years ago today – in an area near the town of El Paraíso, on the island of La Palma, part of the Atlantic archipelago of the Canary Islands. The eruption ceased on the 13th of December after 85 days of activity, making it the longest recorded historical eruption on the island and the third in this volcanic archipelago. This catastrophe has put La Palma on the world map. Through CrowdFarming, we’ve been able to get closer to its history, its people, thanks to its iconic “platano de Canarias” (Banana from the Canary Islands). We’ve also come to know the Canary pine, a symbol of the resilience developed by this island and its people.

The Canary pine has the healthy habit of surviving a fire. Its 8-centimeter-thick bark protects the tree’s interior, which not only becomes fire-resistant but also learns to benefit from it. The heat in fires promotes the opening and germination of pine cones once everything has passed. It not only survives fire, but also multiplies thanks to it.
We went to La Palma to see its bananas, not its pines, but this is how we had the opportunity to get to know a tiny part of the spirit of the people there, the “Palmeros”, which has much to do with these characteristic trees of the area.

The skin of the Palmeros – inhabitants of the island – is not as thick as the bark of the Canary pine, but they have proven to be equally resistant to fire, especially that of the volcanoes. The initial reaction to the eruption was joy at being part of a historic moment. As this situation extended in time, but especially in space, joy turned into concern and despair when the lava flow reached a width of 3 km. This translated to 370 hectares buried by the volcano’s lava, 90 hectares left completely isolated, and more than 400 hectares affected by volcanic ash.


When on the 13th of December 2021 – three months later – the eruption was declared over, the Palmeros breathed a sigh of relief. One problem ended, but a bigger one began: the reconstruction of the island and the recovery of the economic engine, the banana. La Palma is indeed synonymous with Canary bananas. Wherever you go, wherever you look, there are bananas. Almost everyone directly or indirectly relies on bananas for their livelihood. Tourism is also an important part, but it doesn’t carry as much weight as on other islands.

The task of recovering the affected agricultural areas is monumental, but as the Palmeros say, “our ancestors did it, so we will we.”

The lava flow has an average width of 12 meters, making retreat impossible. The most feasible solution is to do what was done before: flatten that surface, cover it with fertile soil, and start from scratch. It’s not a simple or cheap task, but the beautiful island wants to regain its rhythm and overcome this black and destructive burden that has befallen it.

It’s not surprising that the official plant symbol of the island is the Canary pine. Another unique feature of the Canary pine, and what makes it distinctive, is its leaves. They consist of three needles instead of two, like other pines. This triple structure is imprinted even in the trio that makes up the island, the banana, and its people, to the extent that we don’t just have a banana, but we have Canary bananas.

If there’s one positive aspect of the La Palma volcano eruption and the damage it caused to banana plantations, it’s that it has put this island on the map for many Europeans and introduced them to this very special product.