When Sicilian farmer Rosolini Palazzolo first started growing papayas 11 years ago, hardly any of his neighbors even knew what they were. Now, the southern Italian island famed for its picturesque orange and lemon groves is dotted with the kind of exotic fruit trees more usually associated with tropical climates - from papaya to bananas to mangoes.

“I get shivers when I eat mangoes now,” Palazzolo laughed as he recalled how unimpressed he was when he first tasted the fruit after buying one imported from Brazil. The 39-year-old is part of a new generation of Sicilian farmers producing exotic fruits - encouraged by demand and made possible by climate change.