Sustainable change

The places I love are often imprinted in my memories by their scents," writes Patricia Parinejad in the preface to her publication "Green Mallorca". On the Spanish Balearic island, the intense aroma of mastic, an indigenous pistachio bush, accompanies her. Warm and resinous, soft and wild, like the island. And like herself. At the end of 2020, she had enough of Berlin, packed up her dog Lucie and a yoga mat and travelled south by land and sea. In this time, due to the pandemic, the otherwise fluorescent tourism on the island came to a standstill, giving nature a much-needed break. "During those quiet winter days, I discovered a different Mallorca. An untouched and healthy paradise where I could smell the aromas of the earth again," she writes. The elemental landscape of Mallorca quickly captivated her and the planned short trip turned into a permanent stay of over a year, during which she roamed the island, which is just under 100 kilometres in size, discovering lonely bays and natural landscapes, far away from any tourist centre. At the same time, she discovered the great potential of a new generation of creatives who focus on a sustainable offer that protects the island and helps the community: from the eco-farm Casa Wald, located in the middle of a nature reserve, to the Cleanwave Foundation, which actively works to protect the fragile ecosystem of the island, to the sustainable initiative Fet a Sóller, which specialises in the production of fresh and untreated Mediterranean food. In addition, Mallorcan Hans Lenz is chairman of the Mallorca Preservation Foundation, which was co-founded in 2017 by British environmental activist Ben Goldsmith and has since been actively working to preserve, protect and restore Mallorca's nature and natural habitats.

"Green Mallorca" shows a fascinating slice of this extensive offering from local communities: "Mallorca has so much more to offer than meets the eye, and that's what this book aims to show," says Joe Holles de Peyer, President of Tamutana XXI and Manager of Son Moragues and Gate2Chain Mallorca. He continues, "By paying homage to a new generation of islanders who have made it their mission to build a sustainable future for their beloved island, Green Mallorca is a bright light of hope that points a way in these difficult times." Patricia Parinejad has captured this change in fascinating photographs that give insight into production processes, products and architectures and introduce the people who are enthusiastically driving the turnaround towards sustainable change. Thanks to the impressive photographs, one can breathe in the tangy scent of mastic, sun-drenched citrus fruits and enchanting almond blossoms, feel the warming southern sun on one's skin and hear the waves gently washing ashore. Meanwhile, the international character of the population is reflected in her short portraits, which can be read in English, Spanish and German. "Green Mallorca" is a tribute to the jewel of the Balearic Islands and its heartbeat - and to all those who help to keep it alive and give it back its dignity by standing up for the island and its tortured environment," she writes.

The book has become much more than a temporary project for the widely travelled environmental activist: She recently fulfilled her dream and moved into a farm on the island. 20,000 square metres of land, lined with almond and orange trees, with a large finca that offers plenty of light and healthy living space. Thanks to Green Mallorca, we are able to share in the island's inspiring dynamism through their lens. The great variety of the curated excerpt from the local offer already gives an impression of how much there is to discover beyond that. "Now is the time for Mallorca to come together and reinvent itself once again. And this is the process that the book must help ignite. Because if the future doesn't become sustainable, we know that today, there won't be one in the first place," says Joe Holles de Peyer. Patricia Parinejad's journey around the topic of sustainability will continue in the coming years: "Green Namibia", "Green Bhutan" as well as "Green Berlin" are already being planned: "One should always keep moving while it is possible to do so."