The Olive

The olive is a small, very long lived tree that is native toprocess, and export. That is also changing as countries
the Eastern Mediterranean basin as well as Southlike Algeria gear up to plant a million hectares of olives.
Eastern Europe, Western Asia, North Africa, andThat is an area comparable to a square a hundred
Northern Iran. Cultivation of the olive is ancient andkilometers on a side.
mentioned in the first Western writing such as Homer'sOlives for Olive Oil
Odyssey written around 800 BC. The tree can liveMany varieties of olive exist which should not be a
two millennia as demonstrated by a carbon dated treesurprise considering how long this tree has been grown
in Portugal and attested to in many local histories andfor its fruit and its oil. A very practical type of olive tree
legends. The ability of the roots to regenerate a treethat is considered for new planting programs is called a
after the trunk has been destroyed also lead to greatsuper high density varietal. That just means that these
longevity. Although these trees can become ancienttrees can be planted more densely than the traditional
they bear the best olives from around 5 to sixty yearsolive tree and can typically produce more olive oil per
of age according to those in the business of growinghectare (a hectare is equal to 2.5 acres). There are
olives.three of these that can be used in new planting
Olive trees bear a fruit which can be eaten raw orprograms to meet increasing demand for oil.
cooked. They are also grown to produce olive oil.Arbosana Olive
Interestingly the word for oil in many languages derivesThis variety has a fruity and pleasant flavor, in very
from the ancient name of the olive.productive, and is very resistant to low temperatures. It
An Ancient Treeis also very resistant to a number of diseases that
The olive was considered sacred by many in the oldattack olive trees. It propagates asexually and typically
world. Olive branches were found in the tomb of theproduces 20% weight per volume of oil. It re-grows
Egyptian pharaoh, Tutankhamen (1341 BC - 1323 BC).vigorously when pruned.
The leaves were used to crown victors of both warArbequinia Olive
and athletic competitions and as offerings to deities.This variety also produces roughly 20% weight per
The oil was used at coronations to anoint kings andvolume of oil. Besides having a high oil content in its fruit
lamps ancient temples burned olive oil. Thus the olivethe Arbequinia is very productive, producing every
as tree, fruit, and oil is an integral part of the ancientyear. It is a smaller tree which is easy to pick and
history of the Mediterranean and parts of the Middleprune. It is easy to replant because of the high rooting
East.ability of its cuttings. This tree is very cold tolerant and
A Dietary Stapletolerates salty soil as well. It is also quite drought
Olive oil has been a dietary staple in the Mediterraneantolerant. This variety started in the Middle East but is
Basin and Middle East for millennia as well. Todaynamed after a Spanish town near the Mediterranean
roughly 95 percent of world wide olive oil productioncoast and is known to be grown in selected areas
comes from the coastal areas of the Mediterranean.around the world.
Sixty percent of cultivatable land in Greece is used forKoroneiki Olive
olive orchards and Greece is only the third leadingThis olive is widely planted in Greece and is able to
producer after Spain and Italy. These three countriesproduce well in super dense plantings. It produces a
are still the world's largest consumers of olive oil atsmall fruit and can produce 27% weight per volume of
roughly 60% but that figure will likely change. Peopleoil. The Koroneiki is tolerant of drought and windy
the world are coming to realize the heart healthylocations but is not especially cold tolerant. It also does
benefits of olive oil. Already from 1990 the world widenot root as well from cuttings as the Arbequinia. It is
consumption of olive oil doubled and it is expected togrown as far away as Australia.
triple between 2000 and 2020. The sacred oil of theProducing Enough Olive Oil
Mediterranean Basin is becoming increasingly popularIt is the high density cultivars with drought and cold
from the USA to Japan and other parts of the Orient.resistance that appear to show the most promise for
Olive Supply and Demandplanting in newly tilled soil in North Africa. Although
As the consumption of olive oil increases throughoutthese are regions with mild climates any tree can be
the world the traditional leading producers of olive oilsusceptible to the occasional drought or cold spell.
will not be able to keep up with demand. However, thePlanting trees with drought and cold tolerance will
olive grows best and most productively in theinsure continued production without a lapse in case of
Mediterranean Basin and near the sea. The answer toenvironmental stress. Likewise the ability of varieties
this dilemma is to plant olives on the south side of thesuch as the Arbequinia to be planted very densely will
Mediterranean Basin. Countries of North Africa havehelp investors with the attractive return on investment
climates near the sea that are similar to producingneeded to attract manpower, materials, and capital to
areas of Greece, Italy, and Spain. Until recently theythe huge project of planting hundreds of thousands, if
have only lacked the infrastructure to plant, produce,not millions, of hectares with olive trees.