One olive oil price record after another was broken in 2023; here is one from near the end of the year.
“In Greece, olive growers and oil producers gathered outside regional government buildings nationwide, seeking financial aid to cope with this year’s extremely poor olive harvest.”
With this year’s World Olive Day dedicated to the role of women, the 4E society awarded several Greek women for their special contributions to olive growing, and then discussed culture, environmental protection, olive oil quality, the health-nutritional value of olive oil and table olives, and whether olive oil is a luxury.
“Olive oil producers in Spain, Italy and Greece are grappling with challenges that threaten the viability of the sector.”
“Kalamata and Sitia Lasithiou Kritis extra virgin olive oils have been registered as in India to protect them from imitations.”
More bad news about thefts in Greece: branches and even entire trees are being stolen, as well as olives.
“The world’s seven largest olive oil-producing countries are expected to yield 1.97 million tons in the 2023/24 crop year, 23 percent below the average of the previous four campaigns.”
Concerns about olive oil production, consumption, prices, and theft continues in Greece.
With olive oil’s price higher than ever before, theft of oil and olives is a concern; this technology may help combat the problem.
Some of the earliest harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil has sold for an astonishing price.
With olive oil prices 200% higher than last year in Greece due to climate-change induced shortages, theft of olive oil is increasing
Dozens of tons of olive oil were stolen from an olive oil farming cooperative’s warehouse in Polygyros, Halkidiki; it is valued at over 370,000 euros.
“Twenty five olive oil producers who stored their production in an agricultural cooperative in Polygyros, northern Greece, from where it recently disappeared have filed criminal charges against unknown persons with the security police asking authorities to investigate how this happened and who is behind it.”
As Costas Vasilopoulos writes, some olive trees were damaged by the rain and hailstorms in Greece that devastated the central part of the country with unprecedented flooding.
As Costas Vasilopoulos writes, “Around 4,500 hectares of olive groves have been burned in wildfires across the country. The government promises aid, but farmers want something else.”
Olive Oil Times recently expanded on an earlier Greek Liquid Gold article about olive oil on restaurant tables in Greece.
“Heat and drought in the Mediterranean are harming production of olive oil, causing its price to spike,” although “Greece is expected to boost its olive oil yield as the center of olive production moves eastward, thanks to rains and relatively mild temperatures.”
Recent research in Greece shows that the expected effects of climate change should concern olive producers in the northeastern area of Chalkidiki.
According to Costas Vasilopoulos, “the European Commission has approved Greece’s national strategic plan, which aligns with the latest revision of the E.U.’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).”
The latest research indicates that the carbon sink effect from olive trees in the biomass and soil is much higher than greenhouse gas emissions from production. (July 8, 2016)
Europe Rolls Out New Rules Governing Olive Oil QualityImportant news for olive oil bottlers about new European regulations.
As the article says, “Konstantinos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister, has pledged to restore the Amfissa olive grove, one of several agricultural territories of the country that suffered extensive damages from wildfires in the summer.”
A consideration of the role Greek olive oil plays in the Italian olive oil sector.
This article includes a very interesting video with scenes from an olive oil tasting lab, olive groves at harvest time, and a modern olive mill, as well as comments from several Cretans who work with olive oil. (Click on the CC button for English captions if you don’t understand the Greek.)
“Local producers prefer to export their product in bulk to Italy without standardizing it.”
“More than 130,000 olive saplings have been donated to farmers in the area surrounding Ancient Olympia in the northwest Peloponnese, replacing some of the hundreds of thousands that burned in last summer’s devastating wildfires.”
“According to initial estimates, 30,000 to 40,000 trees were destroyed in fires that swept through some of the oldest olive groves in Greece.”
“The Hellenic Center of Excellence for Health and Wellness, a non-profit initiative aimed at promoting Greek culture with a focus on the plant-based Mediterranean Diet, one of the world’s healthiest eating plans, was launched” on Crete in May.
“The Greek extra virgin olive oils were registered with an international organization that protects the product from imitation and counterfeiters in 56 countries.”
Campaign Aims to Replant Olive Trees of OlympiaAn international nonprofit group is leading a fundraising campaign that aims to help replant olive trees after major fires destroyed olive groves in Ancient Olympia last summer. To find out how you can help, see https://olympia-trees.com/.
“Greeks are among the top per capita consumers of olive oil in the world but have cut back on the highest grade.” Based on an article about a 2020 survey in Greece, this report discusses various opinions, practices, and levels of knowledge about olive oil.
“Local producers have joined forces with scientists In Chania, Crete, to identify, analyze and transfer the DNA identity of olive oil from the field to the bottle, achieving authenticity and traceability for their local products.”
“Producers can save money and be more sustainable by shipping olive mill wastewater to local biogas production plants.” This article discusses the current advantages and limitations of this plan in Greece.
New PDO and PGI designations from the European Union recognize this unique extra virgin olive oil’s distinctive characteristics and specific origin in Thrace, northeastern Greece.
An in-depth, informative article based on an interview with an international expert. It includes worldwide production estimates for the 2019/20 crop year.
Daniel Dawson writes that the Culinary Institute of America and International Olive Council “believe that increasing olive oil consumption is a complementary goal to promoting a shift toward plant-forward cooking,” which could help fight climate change.
“Researchers from the Department of Pharmacognosy of Athens University in Greece, have managed to detect and isolate a constituent of extra virgin olive oil that could act against high blood pressure.”
“The certification process for 14 varieties of olive is underway at the state-run Olive Tree Institute of ELGO Demetra based in Chania, a development that Greek Nurseries are watching with great interest but also caution as it could satisfy their long-standing demand for certified propagating material.”
Interested for years in “the health benefits of phenolic compounds in olive oil, … [Athan] Gadanidis had told Dr. Magiatis that they needed a human subject to test the benefits of olive oil in treating prostate cancer. Ironically, he would be that subject himself.”
“Seven companies in Greece that produce table olives and extra virgin and virgin olive oil were the first in the country to display a ‘Greek Mark’ on their labeling, part of a project to distinguish Greek products in foreign markets.”
This is an interesting summary of many of the topics covered at the recent conference at Yale School of Public Health, which convened a committee to plan a new olive institute at this prestigious American university.
Greek Professor, Team Invent Mini Olive-Oil Mill, Quality TesterA Greek professor’s invention helps olive farmers decide the best time to harvest their olives to optimize the health benefits and quantity of their olive oil.
New Project in Greece Aims to Decrypt Domestic Olive CultivarsAs Olive Oil Times reports, “Greece seeks to analyze the genome of olives to safekeep its cultivars and make better products.”
Alice Alech writes, “Learning to appreciate olive oil at an early age is an advantage to young adults; it puts them on the right path towards a healthy lifestyle later on…. Research carried out in Greece on 190 high school students show that teenagers once they are made aware of the sensory properties, and the analysis of extra virgin olive oil can distinguish between extra virgin olive oil and defective oil. The results also showed that the young adults aged between 13 and 15 years old were able to recognize rancid and muddy sediment in olive oil.” (November 28, 2016)
Sustainable Olive Oil Production Can Help Mitigate Climate Change“The International Olive Council attended the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) to present research on sustainable olive oil production.” (November 18, 2016)
The identification of olive cultivars according to the appearance of leaves and fruit is expected to serve as the basis for a phone app and contributions to a new international olive tree database. (November 4, 2016)
“[G]lobal experts warn the Mediterranean diet, prized for its health benefits, is losing so much ground to the fast food culture that the decline may be irreversible.” (July 11, 2016)
Regarding prices within the country: “Greece saw the second-highest increase in the price of olive oil since January 2023, with its 67% increase far above the European Union average of 50%, data from the EU’s statistics arm showed.”
Branches from the Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves have been used in ceremonies at each summer Olympics since the Athens Games in 2004. The wreath cutting ceremony was accompanied by an ancient dance ritual. (August 1, 2016)
The Oleocanthal International Society Conference and Olympia Health & Nutrition Awards featured breakthroughs in olive oil research, a new olive tree varietal, and an olive oil competition for high-phenolic oils. (June 10, 2016)
Early harvest oils, with their bitter taste, low acidity, and higher antioxidant content are worth paying a little extra for. If you can find them. (October 14, 2015)
The European Commission approved the extension of the Kalamata olive oil Protected Designation of Origin throughout the Regional Unit of Messinia. (July 27, 2015)
Founding members discuss the reason for a new international society devoted to oleocanthal: to inspire and support more clinical studies of the health benefits of this olive oil polyphenol, and to share news about them. (June 11, 2015)
“Two scientists attending the conference from Greece, Dr. Prokopios Magiatis and Dr. Eleni Melliou, made three announcements concerning the work on olive oil polyphenols.” (September 29, 2014)