By Dr Charlotte Chivers
Summary: Carob, a drought-tolerant Mediterranean tree, is gaining attention as a climate-resilient crop for drying regions where traditional agriculture is struggling. Mature trees survive on minimal rainfall and poor soils, though seedlings need careful establishment. Beyond its agricultural benefits for soil conservation and carbon storage, carob produces nutritious pods used in traditional Mediterranean cooking, from biscuits to pasta dishes. However, slow maturation, labour-intensive harvesting, and limited commercial infrastructure currently restrict wider adoption.
Across much of southern Europe, land managers are reassessing what can realistically grow as soils dry out and water becomes scarce.
During a recent TERRASAFE visit to Murcia, Spain, we visited a carob plantation established on land where almond production has become unviable due to desertification. Desertification and growing aridity are reshaping cropping decisions, and carob is emerging as one option for those in search of hardy, low-input trees. And not only is carob easier to grow, but the resulting crop is also delicious and naturally healthy.
This blog reflects on what carob is, how it behaves in dryland systems, and whether it offers a realistic commercial option for areas facing desertification. We also consider whether carob has a role to play in a broader diversification of crops in hot, dry landscapes.
What is carob?
Carob is an evergreen legume native to the Mediterranean and parts of the Middle East. It has been cultivated for millennia and is still widely grown in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Morocco, with smaller but expanding production in countries such as Australia.
The tree produces long pods that can be turned into carob powder, syrups and other products. The discarded husks are often used as mineral-rich livestock feed.
Carob was first cultivated around 4000 years ago. In addition to providing a crop, carob seeds were historically valued for their relatively consistent weight. They were used to weigh commodities such as gold and grain, which, interestingly, is where the word “carat” originates. This link to luxury is somewhat ironic given its recent connotations as a ‘poor man’s chocolate’.
Despite this long history, the number of areas cultivated with carob in the Mediterranean has declined sharply over recent decades, even as interest in climate-resilient crops has grown. A recent review estimates the reduction to be around 65% in cultivated area in the 21st century, and classifies carob as an under-utilised Mediterranean tree species with potential roles in climate adaptation and soil conservation.
Carob in areas of desertification: surviving or thriving?
Carob is a xerophyte, which means it is well adapted to hot, dry climates. It is widely recognised as a useful species for rehabilitating degraded and desertifying Mediterranean landscapes. It grows well on poor, stony and low-fertility soils, allowing it to be used in land restoration projects, silvopastoral systems and mixed orchards with other drought-tolerant trees.
Field and experimental studies show that established trees can survive on just 250 millimetres of rainfall per year, although higher rainfall, in the range of 500 millimetres or more, is usually needed for it to thrive, which is when it will produce reliable pod yields.
Why is carob so well adapted to aridity? Firstly, it has deep root systems and robust leaves. This means it can access deeper water, while its thick leaves minimise water loss.
Secondly, experimental work done on young trees under controlled water stress shows that carob maintains essential physiological functions across a range of water regimes and can adjust through osmotic regulation, an accumulation of protective compounds and a modulation of stomatal behaviour.
Three, Carob has a high tolerance of poor and calcareous soils. Carob can grow on shallow, rocky and calcareous soils, and even on some saline sites, which makes it suitable for degraded or marginal land where other tree crops struggle.
These traits make carob a good candidate in areas where rainfall is low and irregular.
However, there is an important caveat for anyone treating it as a simple technical fix for desertification – it needs a little care and nurturing while young.
The vulnerable phase: establishment
The only time carob needs a little extra attention and care is, understandably, during its establishment phase. Reforestation and orchard projects often fail if young trees become too water stressed. Studies on carob seedlings and young plants emphasise that while mature trees are drought-tolerant, seedlings are much more sensitive to water and salt stress.
In its early life, therefore, it is important to provide:
- Carefully selected, locally adapted seeds.
- Supplementary irrigation in the first years.
- Mulching to retain soil moisture.
- Basic fertilisation or organic matter additions.
Once established, carob trees can tolerate significant drought and require little ongoing irrigation or attention.
If carob has so many benefits, why is it still a marginal crop?
There are a few reasons why carob hasn’t become mainstream (yet), including:
- Slow maturation
Trees may take many years to reach full pod production, which makes rapid expansion difficult and demands long-term investment horizons. However, this can be addressed by growing it as part of a system, for example, as part of silvopastures.
- Labour-intensive harvesting
Harvesting is often manual and physically demanding, reducing its appeal relative to more mechanised crops.
- A lack of effective marketing
Carob has remained a niche ingredient with fewer processors and less stable demand. This is, in part, due to cultural narratives. In some countries, particularly in the United States, carob was marketed in the 1970s as a “healthy chocolate” replacement, often disappointing consumers who expected chocolate rather than a different flavour profile. This framing has overshadowed appreciation of carob in its own right – referring to carob as a chocolate alternative leads to unhelpful comparisons – while carob is tasty, it is not chocolate.
- Policy and research gaps
Although international bodies such as FAO and European genetic-resources programmes recognise carob as an under-utilised species with potential for climate adaptation and soil conservation, this has not translated into sustained investment in breeding, extension or processing infrastructure.
Watch the video below for six strategies to encourage Carob as a crop…
A food for the future – if we allow it
During our visit to Murcia, we saw first-hand how carob is already part of farmers’ adaptation strategies, with carob biscuits sold locally. In Sicily and elsewhere, it flavours dark cavatelli that pair with rich ragùs, or toasted pods drizzled with honey and ground into biscuits. These uses place carob in a wider movement to recognise and amplify dryland crops that have been undervalued in mainstream food systems.
Carob will not replace cocoa, and it cannot, on its own, reverse desertification. It is, however, a robust, versatile tree that can anchor mixed, low-input systems in hot, dry regions, while contributing to soil protection, carbon storage and diversified diets.
Whether it becomes more widely planted in TERRASAFE pilot areas and beyond is not about ecological suitability, which is already well established. Rather, it depends on whether policy, investment and cultural narratives will allow this ancient tree to take a more visible place in future-facing landscapes.
Watch the video – Terrasafe’s Francisco Pedrero talks about why some farmers are switching to carob crops in Spain.
Carob Q&A
What is carob?
Carob is an evergreen legume tree native to the Mediterranean and Middle East that has been cultivated for approximately 4,000 years. It produces long pods that can be processed into carob powder, syrups, and other food products. Historically, carob seeds were valued for their consistent weight and used to measure commodities like gold and grain—the origin of the word ‘carat’. Today, carob is grown primarily in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Morocco, and increasingly in countries like Australia.
Why could carob be an important crop for drylands?
Carob is exceptionally well-adapted to hot, dry climates through multiple mechanisms: deep root systems access groundwater, thick leaves minimize water loss, and osmotic regulation helps maintain physiological functions under water stress. The tree tolerates poor, rocky, calcareous, and even some saline soils where other crops fail. As desertification advances across Mediterranean regions, carob offers a viable alternative for land where traditional crops like almonds are no longer sustainable, while also providing benefits for soil conservation, carbon storage, and landscape restoration.
How much rainfall does carob need to grow?
Established carob trees can survive on as little as 250 millimetres of rainfall per year, making them highly drought tolerant. However, for reliable pod production and optimal growth, carob thrives with 500 millimetres or more annual rainfall. Young seedlings are more water-sensitive and require supplementary irrigation during their establishment phase, typically in the first few years after planting.
What are the main challenges preventing carob from becoming a mainstream crop?
Despite its climate resilience, carob faces several adoption barriers: trees take many years to reach full pod production, requiring long-term investment; harvesting is labour-intensive and often manual; processing infrastructure and stable market demand remain limited; and past marketing as a ‘chocolate substitute’ has created unhelpful comparisons rather than appreciation of carob’s unique qualities. Additionally, insufficient policy support and research investment have hindered breeding programs and commercial development.
What foods can be made from carob?
Carob pods are versatile in Mediterranean cuisine. Traditional uses include carob biscuits, dark cavatelli pasta flavoured with carob that pairs well with rich sauces, and toasted pods drizzled with honey and ground into biscuits. The discarded husks also serve as mineral-rich livestock feed, making carob a zero-waste crop with multiple agricultural applications. Carob is very nutritious, providing a range of vitamins and minerals plus a good source of D-pinitol, which may provide anti-inflammatory and insulin regulatory effects.